


Salvation

by Madnad



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 13:22:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 22
Words: 31,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7686121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madnad/pseuds/Madnad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lilith found herself and the other residents of Woodbury abandoned by Blake, and left to the mercy of 'the others'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set following the events of series 3 finale. I have tried to stay on canon, and hopefully, portray Daryl as realistically as possible. I have tried, as much as possible, to keep my version of Daryl as close to the TV version as possible. Although I am putting him in circumstances not portrayed in the show, I hope my character study has produced realistic responses. There is some explicit sex in later chapters, but ultimately, this is a romance. Please forgive any syntax errors in Daryl's dialogue, I am English not American, but have tried to be as authentic as possible. If you read and enjoy, I would really appreciate it if you could take a second to kudos and comment.
> 
> Disclaimer: The Walking Dead universe & Daryl Dixon belongs wholly to Kirkman/AMC. Original character Lilith belongs to me. I make no money from writing of this story and it is strictly for entertainment purposes only. Do Not Repost elsewhere without permission

Lilith made her way into the large austere prison along with the rest of the Woodbury refugees. They were mostly children and the elderly, or those that had been too ill for Philip Blake to include in his ill-fated crusade.

The prison was eerie, like a giant mausoleum, their footsteps echoing on the concrete floor. Stark grey walls surrounded her, with high-up reinforced glass windows flooding the room with the last of the days light. The cell block they were in had two levels of cells with a railing around the second level. She tried not to think about the number of biters that could be roaming the rest of this place, although they had been assured that this block was clear and secure.

There was very little room, so everyone had to crowd into whatever corner or space they could find. _Never thought I would end up in prison,_ she thought to herself, trying to find some humour in this desperate situation, and trying to ignore the anxiety rising at the claustrophobic situation.

She had arrived in Woodbury four months earlier, found by a young couple, Kent and Sarah, who had lost their lives in the recent battle. She had been in a pretty bad state when they came across her, beaten and bloody, staggering through the Georgian wilderness. Along with a broken collarbone, she had been starving and severely dehydrated. They had almost shot her as a biter.

They tended her wounds, and gave her food and much needed medical attention. She had been released from the town’s make-shift hospital with her arm in a sling, and moved in with Kent and Sarah until a place of her own could be found. She had not yet been declared fit for security detail as the Governor, as he liked to call himself, had been too busy picking a fight and he liked to approve each and every soldier personally. She had only met him on two occasions while she was in hospital, but had quietly considered him unstable. He had a demeanour that was too calm, too controlled. The world had gone to shit, and as far as she was concerned no one should look that calm. Woodbury had felt as much a prison as the concrete maze currently surrounding her.

‘The Others’, as the group that lived in the prison had been known to the residents of Woodbury, were proving to be anything but the monsters that they had been painted by Blake. They had offered them shelter, protection and a share of their meagre resources. Their leader, Rick, looked haggard, dark circles under his eyes, and several days’ worth of stubble graced his chin. The burden of grief weighed heavy on his shoulders. His clothes were dirt-stained, and he looked like he hadn’t slept for a week. Every torturous moment of his life since the world changed was etched on his face. There were whispers among the other refugees that he was as unstable as the Governor had been. Lilith didn’t seem to think this was true. He could have left them all to the mercy of the biters, or their psychotic ex-leader. The strain on his face showed that he actually cared; if anything, maybe a little too much. Everything he had achieved had cost him dearly. Despite the mammoth responsibility he was taking on, she trusted he would do what was best for these people.

She watched as Rick climbed half way up the stairs to address the crowd. She saw that Rick’s two lieutenants flanked him. On his left was a young Asian guy, who looked pretty beaten up but still kept his head high and an eye on the pretty brunette at his side. The other was a dark-blond slim guy dressed in leather. He had a crossbow in his hand and a chip on his shoulder, and gave off a definite ‘don’t fuck with me’ vibe. She watched as he scanned the group of refugees with narrow cautious eyes, and Lilith felt that he wasn’t particularly happy about Rick’s decision, but he supported it.

She recognised both of them as they had recently been ‘guests’ of the Governor. She had been told by one of the other refugees that the archer was the younger brother of Merle Dixon, someone she had had the misfortune to run into in her brief time in Woodbury. A more unpleasant man she had never come across. She prayed that this younger sibling was not as vile, or living here could become extremely complicated.

‘Please, if I could just have a moment of your time, folks.’ The noise of the crowd quickly died down, all eyes turned towards the Deputy.

‘I can’t say that living here will be easy, but my people have worked hard to clear the areas we use of walkers. You’re all welcome to use Cell Block D which is clear, but may be a little crowded to start with. With more people, we’re going to need more space. That means that we’re going to have to clear more of the prison of walkers. Over the next few days, I want to talk to each and everyone one of you, and find out what your skills are, your strengths. This will be no free ride through the apocalypse. Everyone here will be expected to contribute to this community in some way. I want to know immediately if you have any medical, military or law enforcement training. For everyone else, there will be plenty to do - cooking, cleaning, child care etcetera.’ His keen blue eyes scanned the crowd, his face straight and serious, he added, ‘Anyone not willing to pull their weight can leave now.’

He jumped down, and headed outside. Lilith looked at the people around her as a wave of muttering spread throughout the gathered refugees. This mixture of ages and races could be all that was left of humanity. Too many of them looked stunned by Rick’s demands. _What did they expect?_

Lilith took a deep breath. This was a new chapter of her life; it was time that she stopped wallowing in the past and try to make something of her future, so she headed outside to speak to her new leader.

  
Out in the dry and dusty yard Rick was talking to one of his people, an elder gentleman with wild white hair and one leg missing below the knee. As she approached, she heard Rick telling the older man that the young red-haired woman whose shoulder he had a hand on, had done a year in med school. Rick nodded at the woman, and patted her on the back and left the two to talk.

‘Er… Hi, Rick,’ Lilith held out her hand before he moved past. ‘My name is Lilith and I want to volunteer to help with the biter… er, walker situation if I can.’

She watched passively as Rick quickly sized her up. Lilith was in her late thirties, and at 5”9’ she was taller than most women. In her old life, she liked to keep fit by running and working out at the gym, and although she was not as fit as she could be due to a prolonged hospitalisation, she was still in reasonable shape. Her long dark hair was swept back and fastened in a low and practical ponytail. Dark brown eyes in a lightly tanned face stared eagerly at the deputy. ‘Do you have any weapons training?’ he asked, as he shook her hand firmly.

‘Some knife throwing skills, but I have experience with a bow, although I haven’t shot for a while so I maybe a little rusty,’ she trailed off.

‘You a hunter then?’ he perked up.

‘Er… no. It was a hobby. Target archery, mostly. But I’ve done a few competitions…’

‘Where are you from, Lilith?’ he interrupted, her accent clearly not American.

‘England. Nottingham to be precise.’

He smiled a little, and nodded. ‘Go and talk to Daryl about equipment, and maybe some training.’ He placed a hand on her shoulder, and held her gaze for a second. ‘Thank you,’ and then he was gone, off to talk to others.

Lilith took a deep breath and approached Daryl. She could tell by his expression she didn’t need to explain. He had heard everything she had said to Rick. Up close he wasn’t as tall as she had first thought, maybe a few inches taller than her, but his lithe build and broad shoulders made him look taller. Despite his slender frame, muscular arms protruded from his sleeveless shirt. They were tanned and a little grubby, and glistened with a light sheen of sweat.

‘So, Robin Hood,’ he sneered. ‘What kinda bow do you shoot?’

‘Recurve, or barebow,’ she answered.

Blue eyes squinted at her through a cloud of fragrant smoke from a freshly lit roll-up. He had a long straight nose, and patchy facial hair around his chin. As he exhaled smoke in her direction, she noticed he had a small mole on the right of his top lip. ‘Crossbows are better,’ he sneered. ‘Even compound is better than recurve.’

Lilith shook her head. ‘Not for me, I don’t like compound bows. The sighted shots are limiting. Recurve is much more flexible, more instinctual,’ she replied confidently. ‘And crossbows don’t require any skill.’

She noted that he raised an eyebrow at her little dig, but he deserved it. It wasn’t the first time someone had thought they were clever calling her Robin Hood.

‘You ever kill anything with your bow?’ he asked.

She swallowed, and after a moment’s consideration, answered quietly. ‘No, just target shooting.’

Daryl barked a short laugh full of derision, and shook his head, ‘Be ready first light tomorrow. We’re taking a run into the nearby town to pick up supplies. There’s a sporting supplies store there. You can get yourself some equipment.’ He slung his crossbow onto his shoulder and walked off heading towards the nearby guard tower, leaving Lilith stood alone in the yard.

She sighed. ‘OK then,’ she muttered to herself, and headed back inside to claim a bunk.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith heads into the nearby town to get kitted out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boondock fans should get a kick out of this chapter

Lilith slept poorly, plagued with bad dreams. She had been restless all night. Long before dawn, she resigned herself to getting no sleep and climbed down from her top bunk. She quietly changed into a clean vest from the rucksack that contained all she possessed in the world. She looked down at the filthy jeans she had on, and wondered if she could pick up a change of clothes while she was out later. Her room-mate, the red-haired trainee doctor Amy, was still asleep. Lilith wandered quietly around D Block through to C Block, and to a kitchen area. She got a glass of water, and sat alone sipping it quietly in the dark, with just her thoughts for company.

It wasn’t long before she saw the faint light of dawn creeping through the windows, and sounds of life around the cell block, so she made her way outside. The Asian guy and the pretty brunette were stood by a van with a large bag of weapons. As she approached, he shot her a friendly smile.

‘Hi, I’m Glenn,’ he said as he handed her a baseball bat, and with a nod of his head towards the back of the vehicle added, ‘Hop in.’

Lilith climbed in the back. There were a couple of other people she recognised from Woodbury; Karen, and a large black guy that had been new to Woodbury who she didn’t know. He introduced himself as Tyreese and also presented his sister, Sasha.

The engine started, and Daryl jumped in before shutting the doors then banging on the roof. Lilith felt the vehicle move off, and she could just see through the small dirty windows at the back of the vehicle. They passed through the prison gates, which she watched close quickly behind them.

  
Thirty minutes or so later, they pulled into an alleyway just off the main street of a nearby town. Glenn opened the door, and silently beckoned them all out.

‘Y’all have 20 minutes,’ Daryl told the group in hushed tones. ‘We’ll split into two teams. Glenn, you take Karen, Sasha and Maggie and go look for food, medicine, anything you can find. And I think Beth said she needs more formula for lil’ ass-kicker.’

He turned his eyes then to the remainder in the van. Tyreese and his sister had been at the prison for a short time before leaving for Woodbury. Daryl found it ironic that they were both back now. The last was the English girl. She looked anxious to get moving rather than afraid, and unflinchingly held his gaze as he scrutinized her. What a limey was doing in Georgia, he had no idea. She seemed unsuited to this world, clearly from an affluent background. He just hoped she wasn’t going to slow them down.

‘There’s a sporting supplies store ‘bout a block away. We move quickly, and most importantly, quietly. We do not want to attract the attention of any walkers. You see one, despatch it quickly, no noise. Understood?’

Everyone nodded. He quietly closed the back doors, and checked the street from the end of the alleyway. It was clear so he signalled for the others to follow him.

They moved swiftly, and Daryl glanced back once to make sure everyone was keeping up. He was pleased to note the girl had barely broken a sweat and was clutching her bat ready to swing.

They slipped quietly down the side of the sporting goods store, and Daryl tried the back door. The lock was already busted, which was good news in that he didn’t have to break it down, but bad news because the place had likely been cleaned out already.

They made their way into the store and Daryl noticed immediately that the gun cabinet was cleared out. There was some ammunition left, a few shotgun shells, cartons of bullets, and a few clips, so he started to put it into the empty bag he had.

‘Spread out, and be careful,’ he whispered to the others.

After he had emptied the counter of any remaining ammo, he decided to check out the back storeroom in case there was any in there. When he walked in, his eyes were immediately drawn to some movement near the racks in the back. He raised his bow, ready to fire, then lowered it when he saw it was Lilith.

She was just pulling some new black cargo pants up over her hips, and his eyes were drawn by a brief glimpse of pale lithe legs. She turned towards him as she pulled up the zip fly, and looked at him challengingly, daring him to comment. She bent down and grabbed two more pairs off the shelf, and stuffed them into a black Bergen. He could see she had already added in a quiver, and several dozen carbon shafts, fletching, and a variety of tips. Finally, she picked up a riser handle and some limbs for a recurve bow that had been resting on the shelf next to where the box of cargo pants were, and stuffed them into the large Bergen. She threw the bag over her shoulder, which must have been quite heavy, but she managed it easily enough. She grabbed her bat, and wordlessly pushed past him back into the main part of the store.

There was little ammo in the back, but he grabbed what he could, including some cargo pants for himself, and followed her back into the store.

Tyreese had managed to get a few blades and an axe, and Lilith was just placing a bowie knife into a leather holster attached to her belt, and secured the tip around her thigh. 

‘Are we done?’ Daryl asked quietly. Both nodded. They headed back behind the counter towards the rear exit, when Tyreese said, ‘Wait!’

Daryl looked at him, questioningly.

‘Do you know what we need, man? Some rope,’ said Tyreese.

‘What? Are you insane?’ asked Daryl incredulously.

‘No, I’m serious,’ replied the big man.

‘Me too. That’s stupid. Name one thing you’re gonna need a rope for.’ Daryl asked.

‘You don’t fuckin’ know what we’re gonna need it for. You just always need it.’

Daryl rolled his eyes. ‘Alright. Get your stupid fuckin’ rope.’ He watched Tyreese pick up a big coil of black rope. _Damn fool. That shit must weigh thirty pounds._

He led them back up the street, Tyreese lagging behind as he struggled with his heavy bag and cumbersome rope. They passed by a florist with a large glass window, all the displays long wilted into grey-green mush. As Tyreese came level with the door, a walker crashed through the glass reaching for him with rotted fingers, oblivious to the shards of glass protruding from its flesh. Tyreese dropped his bag, and reached for the large pickaxe he had strapped to his back, but it got caught in the rope slung over his shoulder.

The walker clawed at him, and he was able to hold it back, its bloody jaw snapping an inch from his face. Daryl turned when he heard the crash, he saw Tyreese struggle and raised his crossbow. Before he was able to get a clear shot, Lilith had dropped her back and swung hard at the walker. There was a sickening squelch as half of the head caved in, and the neck was broken. The creature stumbled back, its head hanging at a grotesque angle. She swung again and the creature fell and lay still.

Daryl came over and checked the walker. It was put down. He helped Tyreese up, who mumbled his gratitude to Lilith. ‘No time for chit-chat, ladies,’ Daryl grumbled, giving Tyreese a mean stare, and starting jogging back towards the van.

They threw their things in the back and climbed in. Daryl looked over at Lilith, who for the first time that morning seemed shaken. There was a slight shake to her shoulders and she clutched onto her Bergen tighter than was necessary.

‘Was that your first walker kill?’

She nodded.

‘You did good, girl’ he said trying to sound reassuring. He had seen grown men throw up after their first kill. Maybe she had potential after all. He wondered how she had gone this long since the world got fucked without killing a single walker, but instead of questioning her, he turned to watch out of the van door and waited for Glenn and his party. They didn’t have to wait long.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith gets a little target with Daryl, and a mystery develops about her background

The next morning, Daryl leant against the railing of one of the remaining guard towers. The cloudless sky was eerily quiet, free of the normal vapour trails from airplanes on their way to far off destinations. Daryl had never been on a plane, and rarely out of the state. He hardly ever came this far south, only ever venturing into Atlanta a few times when Merle was in court, or ‘gator hunting in the plains. He preferred to stay in the mountains of north Georgia where he grew up.

The guard tower near the gate that had been used as a look-out point had been blown up during the Governor’s attack, but Daryl always preferred this tower, as it was closer to the cell-blocks. He had made it his space.

As he scanned the perimeter, he noticed over at the far end of the grass area a couple of stained mattresses were propped against a small outbuilding wall and had a target painted in the centre in five concentric circles. He saw Lilith stood about 80 yards from the target wearing her new cargo pants, several arrows stuck in the ground at her feet, firing shot after shot. He was impressed as most of the arrows were hitting the centre circles.

He made his way down and approached her, naturally moving quietly. When he got close he cleared his throat to let her know he was there. It was never a good idea to surprise someone carrying a weapon.

She smiled a little when she saw him. It was a pretty smile, but looked forced. She had a full bottom lip and freckles across her nose. He scowled in return. ‘A bit rusty, eh?’

‘Yep,’ she replied. ‘A year ago I was winning regional competitions back home, but now…’

‘It’s just practice you need, and to build up your stamina. You’ve obviously got skill. Unlike us crossbow users.’

Lilith blushed a little but laughed quietly, a more natural smile on her lips. ‘Yeah, sorry about that.’

‘It’s okay, girl’ he answered quietly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. ‘I deserved it.’

‘Yes, you did.’

He stood there squinting at her in the morning sun. Her dark hair was again pulled back tightly in a low ponytail, and he could see sunlight reflecting off a few silver hairs that appeared at her temples. She was a handsome woman, and in great shape. She seemed well spoken, educated, and it was more than just her British accent which always sounded more sophisticated to his country ears. _What had she been doing in some Georgian backwater?_

Silence stretched out between them, broken when she held out her bow towards him. ‘Fancy a shot at a real bow?’ There was a challenging smile on her face.

He smirked slightly and took the offered bow. She had picked a good one, about 34lb limbs and a Samick Sage riser. He nocked an arrow, pulled back, quickly sighted his target and let loose. He hit just left of the bulls-eye. Lilith blew an appreciative whistle, and gave a gentle applause.

‘Wow, you’re good.’

‘I know,’ he replied, then turned back leaving her to her practice.

He grabbed a coffee from the kitchen, and headed back up to the guard tower. He looked over towards the makeshift target range, but Lilith wasn’t there any longer.

Later that day, the sun was quickly heading towards the horizon, although it would be an hour or two before it was fully set. The warmth of the day was still causing a heat haze and the air was full of the sound of crickets and frogs. His eyes scanned the perimeter of the prison compound as he wandered around to the other side of the tower. He froze when he spotted someone running. It was Lilith.

She was running fast along the inside of the fence. He grabbed the binoculars and scanned the fence behind her. _Has a walker broke through?_ He couldn’t see what was chasing her. He watched her run right up to the fence at the end of the enclosure, then immediately turn and start running the other way.

Daryl sighed with relief. She was just exercising _._ The weather was hot and humid, and she looked to be dripping in sweat yet continued to push herself with indefatigable energy. He admired her commitment to fitness, and watched her run the length of the enclosure five times, feeling slightly voyeuristic, yet unable to look away.

  
Her lungs were burning, but her muscles now felt warm and fluid. _I’m out of shape_ , she thought to herself as stitch flared in her side. She walked a few paces, her hands on her hips as she tried to gain her breath back. When the pain subsided, she flopped to the ground, her head hung between her knees. She could hear her blood rushing in her ears, but even that couldn’t drown out the sound of the ever-present walkers as they hissed insensibly against the barrier. Momentarily, she felt pity for them. They seemed to be suffering, to be in distress. But these are dead things. The mothers, sisters, brothers and sons they once were are gone. They are dead, they just don’t know it yet.

Several walkers had started to cluster near where she was sat, so she stood up and started to move. The group immediately broke up as a couple of them attempted to follow her, but with half rotted limbs they couldn’t keep up.

One of the walkers pressed against the fence caught her eye. He must have been in his early 50s when he died. He had a beer gut that hung low over the top of his stained jeans, and dark hair, a lot of which now seemed to have fallen out. She approached the fence slowly. The walker pressed himself forward, the volume of his insane hissing increased. Bloody fingers that were curled into claws tried to reach her through the small holes in the mesh. When she got closer, she could see the dried blood encrusted around his mouth, his breath reeking of putrefaction. His eyes were pale and almost opaque. Dead eyes. Without taking her eyes off him, Lilith reached down to the bowie knife she kept strapped to her thigh, and with her right hand plunged it, almost to the hilt, straight between the dead man’s eyes.

She kept a tight grip on the handle, and gave a slight shoving motion. Aided by the creature’s own weight, it slid off her blade to fall backwards. Still. Truly dead. A black goo oozed from the wound. Another walker stumbled slightly over the corpse’s legs but then took its place at the fence, reaching desperate fingers towards her. Lilith ignored it. She wiped her blade clean on the grass, then slipped it back in its holster. She walked back towards the cell block, and decided it was time to test out the showers.

 

Up in his guard tower, Daryl had witnessed her behaviour. It puzzled him. While it was never a good idea to let the mobs of walkers get too big, she seemed to single one out. It was almost like she had picked him from a line up. He watched her as she marched back indoors, then went back to watching the perimeter.

An hour or so later, he went to get some food. He had been hunting earlier that morning, and had given Beth and Carol two fat possums. One of the Woodbury refugees had looked horrified when he pointed out they were for dinner. He’d eaten worse. He’d seen some rabbits while he was out, but they had been too fast for him. He would get them tomorrow.

As he walked through the mess hall, he saw Lilith at a table. It would be good to have someone who could help with the hunting. Bows were best for this, they were silent, efficient, and you didn’t have to spend half your suppertime spitting out buck shot.

He stopped opposite where she was sat on her own, a little away from a group. She paused eating her meagre supper.

‘Tomorrow morning. First light. Practice out at the range.’ He nodded to emphasise his point, then left, not giving her chance to respond. There were too many people around and he didn’t feel like having a conversation.

He ran to the second level, and to the last cell on the floor. Inside, Beth was pacing up and down trying to comfort baby Judith. The frustrated cries of the youngest in the prison echoed around the block.

He held out his arms when he saw her, and Beth willing handed her over, relief evident on her face.

‘Thank goodness you’re here. She’s really cranky and tired, yet refuses to go to sleep.’

Daryl looked down at the red-face contorted in anger, her bottom lip pouting as she wailed at the world.

‘Hey there lil’ ass-kicker.’ He looked at Beth. ‘Go get some food, I’ll watch her for a time.’ Within seconds, Judith’s cries subsided to hitched sobs. She stared up at him with large navy-blue eyes, and placed a chubby fist in her mouth which she sucked on noisily.

Daryl smiled at the young baby. _Even in a world this fucked, it can still produce something as miraculous and beautiful as this baby girl_ , he thought as he stared at her _._ He held her close, relishing in the smell of baby powder coming from her head. He paced up and down the small cell, making nonsensical but soothing noises. Eventually, her deep steady breathing told him she was asleep so he placed her gently into the bassinette.

‘You’re very good with her,’ said a quiet voice behind him. He turned to see Carol leaning in the doorway. ‘You’re about the only one that can get her to stop screaming.’

He smiled a little. ‘She’s just missing her momma, that’s all.’

Carol looked at the sleeping child, and Daryl saw the pain of losing her own pass fleetingly across her face. There wasn’t one among them that hadn’t lost someone close to them, but to lose a child was an agony unmatched, and he wished he could offer comfort.

He and Carol had both lived through abusive relationships, with internal scars as obvious as the external ones. It was natural that they gravitated towards each other. On their first night in the prison, she had joked about them fooling around. He wasn’t entirely sure if she had been serious or not. He cared for her deeply, as he did all his new family, but she was his best friend, his sister, and his mother all rolled into one.

‘How are you feeling?’ she asked, and he knew she was talking about Merle. His face darkened and he walked past her. She placed a hand on his arm stopping him.

‘I’m fine,’ he insisted.

‘Liar.’

He pushed past her gently. ‘I’m goin’ to see if there’s any of that possum stew left.’


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith tries to get to know the uncommunicative Daryl

Lilith strode out towards the target at first light as instructed. At this time of day, the temperature was pleasant, the searing Georgian sun having not had a chance to chase away the coolness of the night.

Daryl was waiting for her, smoking a rolled cigarette, sat on the grass near the marker she had put in at 50 yards. She could shoot further, but she wanted to practice shooting not walking. He glanced at her no more than a few times in the hour that they practiced. Other than a few terse instructions, he barely spoke. His narrow eyes darted between her, the target, and the fence where a few walkers were always present.

He was like a nervous guard dog, and she wasn’t sure if he was going to bite her, or just run.

‘Woman! Your breathing’s all wrong,’ he snapped.

When she glared at him, he glared back. ‘I’m _breathing_ wrong?’ she retorted incredulously.

He snatched the bow off her. ‘Breath in as you set up the shot, aim, release, then breath out.’ He demonstrated, and annoyingly got a perfect bulls-eye. He thrust the bow back at her, ‘Try again.’

She concentrated on her breathing, she aimed and released. _Damn._ The arrow was almost dead centre.

‘Better!’ he exclaimed.

Lilith was a little annoyed that he had been proved right. She looked at him, and saw him scowling at her. ‘You know, you could stop being a sourpuss all the time, and maybe smile once in a while.’ She was starting to get fed up of him looking so mean all the time. As soon as she had finished speaking, she regretted it almost immediately.

He froze, then leaned towards her menacingly. ‘You better watch your mouth, sunshine.’

Lilith gulped.

‘You better pay attention. One day you may be watching my back, and I want to know I can fuckin’ trust you.’

Lilith lowered her gaze, and mumbled an apology. When she looked up he was looking at her. His jaw tightened, as if he wanted to say something else, but held back. _Probably another bollocking,_ she thought. He nodded a silent acceptance of her apology, and turned back and headed away, probably to his usual spot in the guard tower.

Lilith was grateful for his instruction, and hadn’t intended to piss him off. ‘Daryl!’ she called after him. He turned towards her, and under that piercing gaze, she almost forgot what she was going to say. She smiled a little, to soften her words. ‘Thank you. And… I meant what I said… you should smile once in a while.’

‘What have I got to smile about?’ he grumbled before continuing on his way.

Lilith was too frustrated at her failed attempt to befriend the distant archer, and couldn’t concentrate any longer, so she decided to go for a run instead.

She thought of Daryl as she ran and sweated in the sun. _He is a strange one_ , she thought. Nothing like his brother, she was pleased to note. Despite obviously being well respected by everyone, he still seemed to keep himself separate, at a distance, even to the rest of the Others.  She could understand that. She wasn’t really one for company either. The only people she had seen him make an effort to converse with were Rick, Glenn and Carol.

He was a fascinating contradiction. On the one hand, he seemed strong and independent, yet he also seemed broken somehow, fragile and damaged.  _Aren’t we all?_ she remarked to herself. Despite his prickly exterior, she actually felt quite comfortable around Daryl. She felt safe. He didn’t seem the type to have any moves. The last thing she needed right now was fending off unwanted male attention.

On her fourth circuit, one of the walkers at the fence caught her eye. She slowed to a purposeful walk, pulled out her knife, and as before, jammed it into the creatures head. She sat down heavily on the grass, and after cleaning her blade, she rested her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

 

Watching on, Daryl wondered what had driven her to pick that particular walker. There was no mistaking it this time. She definitely chose that walker for a reason, and he felt it was more than a coincidence that it was similar in appearance to the last one. He could just make out the tell-tale shake of her shoulders as she cried.

At suppertime, he watched her smile and converse amiably but briefly to Karen and a couple of the other woman from Woodbury, before she scurried away to sit alone at a table away from the group. There was a darkness to her brown eyes, and a heaviness to the way her shoulders were set. Despite her outwardly cheerful demeanour, he could see that this fucked up world was taking its toll on her.

When he got up to leave, she glanced up and smiled when she noticed him. It looked forced. He nodded a brief greeting, then wordlessly slipped past. Just as he was about to step through the door, he couldn’t resist looking back over his shoulder. Just at that moment, she looked up. She smiled again, but this time it seemed real. Her face lit up, however briefly. His lips curled in the hint of a smile, which caused hers to broaden further, then he left.

Safely up in his guard tower, he took his turn at watch. If he wasn’t in consultation with Rick or out hunting, he was pretty much always on guard, protecting his family. It had taken a while, but he had grown to accept the small band of survivors that he came to the prison with as his family. Rick was like the older brother he wished he had had instead of Merle. Immediately, he felt sorrow at the loss of his brother. They were both a product of their crummy upbringing, but free from the shadow of his big brother, he felt he was now able to choose his own path, to become the man he would like to be, and not the one he was destined to be.

An hour into his watch, everything was quiet, when he heard footsteps coming up the steps to the tower. He turned, and was surprised to see Lilith, two coffee cups in hand.

‘I brought you a coffee. Carol told me how you take it, black two sugars, right?’ she said cautiously, as she handed him the hot mug.

‘Thanks,’ he said. Not knowing what else to say. In an effort to avoid any interaction, he picked up the binoculars and scanned the treeline. He knew he was being rude, but he had no idea what to talk about with this woman. He hoped she would get the hint, and leave.

He was surprised when she sat on the floor of the viewing platform that ran around the small office of the guard tower, her legs dangling over the side through the rail. When he looked at her, she gave a crooked smile, and said, ‘I thought you might want some company.’

 _Not particularly,_ he thought. He preferred to be alone, but if not he was much happier in small groups, where he could hide out at the back, and not be required to participate. He was a listener, not a talker. One-to-ones made him uncomfortable, especially with girls. They expect you to talk back.

‘Suit yourself,’ he sneered, and instantly regretted the sarcastic tone. She either didn’t notice it, or chose to ignore it as she continued to sit there. His visitor didn’t speak; she just drank her coffee and looked out over the trees.

 _Is she waiting for me to say something?_ he wondered. She didn’t appear to be. He watched her surreptitiously. The tension she seemed to be holding in her shoulders earlier had gone. She appeared relaxed and comfortable. He watched as a strand of her dark hair that had escaped the fastening, flutter and dance on her smooth shoulder in the evening’s breeze. There was a little redness there, her pale skin being unused to the fierce Georgian sun. Eventually, Daryl figured she was happy just sitting there and ignored her.

Twenty minutes or so later, her coffee gone, she stood up and briskly brushed imagined dust from the seat of her pants. She raised a hand briefly, and with fake cheer uttered cheerio.

He knew that he should say something now.

‘Yo! Lilith,’ he called after her. ‘Practice tomorrow?’

She smiled. ‘First light, right?’

‘Yup.’

‘See you then.’


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small cracks start to appear in the wall that Daryl has built around himself

The next morning, she was already shooting at the target when he stepped out.

‘Good morning,’ she smiled, and was pleased to note a slight softening of his gaze and a slight curl of his lips in response.

‘Your stamina’s getting better. I can see improvement since our last session.’

Lilith was genuinely pleased at the compliment. ‘I still have a little stiffness in my right shoulder from a broken collarbone,’ she answered, as she rotated her arm in the socket. ‘But it’s getting better all the time.’

They stayed out for a couple of hours, until Daryl was called away by Rick. She decided to go for a run around one of the enclosures before heading back inside for a shower.

The shower was a communal shower, which always made Lilith feel extremely vulnerable. She prayed that no one else was there, and was relieved to find it empty. She quickly undressed and jumped under the cold jet. She gasped sharply when the cold water hit her hot flesh, and goose bumps immediately rose on her skin. She let the water run over her back as she lathered her hair with a little of the soap. She had just finished rinsing when she heard someone approaching. She quickly turned off the water and grabbed her towel.

It was Carol. ‘Oh! I’m sorry. There isn’t usually anyone in at this time of day. Do you mind?’

‘No, go ahead,’ said Lilith. ‘I’m done anyway,’ she added as she dabbed at her skin with the small towel that barely covered her.

She turned her back, as did Carol, both women affording the other respect and a little privacy. As Lilith dressed, Carol stepped under the water and gasped at the shock of the cold just as she had done only moments ago.

Lilith looked up instinctively, and both women shared a sheepish grin. Lilith turned away again, and started to rub the towel through her long hair before she put on her vest.

‘How’s the training going with Daryl,’ asked the older woman.

‘Oh, well I think. Not sure Daryl would agree with me though,’ she answered with grin.

‘Don’t take his demeanour too personally,’ cautioned Carol. ‘He’s a bit of a lone wolf at the best of times, but he’s particularly distant at the moment. He’s still grieving for his brother, not that he would admit it.’

Lilith nodded, and smiled, grateful for the reassurance. ‘Are you and Daryl… close?’

Carol stared off for a moment before answering. ‘We’re family,’ she answered with a smile. There was a time when I thought perhaps he and I might…’ she left the sentence unfinished, and flashed a coy smile at Lilith. ‘The time wasn’t right. Neither of us was ready. To be honest, I don’t think he ever will be.’

Carol turned off the water and grabbed her own towel, just as Lilith was making to leave.

‘Are you… interested in Daryl?’

‘Oh God, no,’ blushed Lilith. ‘No, no I… I,’ she stammered. She looked down at the floor for a second, and gathered her thoughts. ‘Let’s just say that I’m not really ready either and leave it at that.’

 

Later that evening, Lilith was sat alone in a quiet corner of the prison yard. Her room-mate Amy was studying some medical text books, and had an annoying habit of occasionally mumbling words aloud under her breath as she read. Lilith decided to leave her in peace for a while.

As she stepped outside, she saw the dim light of a lamp in the guard tower, and knew that Daryl was back from wherever him, Rick and Glenn had been earlier. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of coffees before making her way up the stairs.

He seemed surprised to see her but she ignored it. She handed him the mug then sat down in the same spot as the previous night, opposite the doorway to the small office room. She sat in silence, drinking her coffee, relishing the warm bitterness and the nutty aroma. She was nervous that Daryl might object to her invading what was commonly thought of in the prison as his space, but he seemed to relax after a few minutes.

She felt safe in his company. She was creeped out in the prison. _It feels a little too much like … well, a prison._ She thought. _Or a tomb._ She couldn’t stomach the anxiety and claustrophobia for too long. Knowing there were walkers only a few corridors away meant she couldn’t relax. Being surrounded by strangers, particularly the men, jangled her nerves too. She had almost slugged Tyreese earlier when he put a hand on her shoulder unexpectedly from behind. They both apologised profusely, and he told her he just wanted to thank her again for saving him in town.

Unlike with the other men in the prison, she felt at ease around Daryl. She knew he didn’t want anything from her, and she didn’t want anything from him other than his friendship. She took as long as she could to drink her coffee, trying to stretch out her time in the guard tower before having to return to her cell.

‘Busy afternoon?’ she asked, after a few minutes.

He looked at her, and just said ‘Yup’. She didn’t say anymore, just drank her coffee. Eventually, he sat down next to her.

‘We went over to Woodbury to see if there was anything we could salvage from there. I think Rick was nervous we’d run into that psycho Governor.’ He looked down at the yard below them, deep in thought. ‘Actually, I think Rick was hoping he was there. He’s a problem that we still need to deal with.’ He turned to Lilith. ‘I think he will pop up again and bite us in the ass. I don’t think he’s finished messin’ with us yet.’

‘I think you’re right,’ she added softly.

They went back to drinking in silence, but Lilith kept glancing at her companion. She thought he had the saddest blue eyes she had ever seen. Sometimes he looked so tough, then other times he looked so vulnerable, and it tugged at her heart.

She smiled to herself as she remembered a stray kitten she had found in an alley, back when she had first moved to London from Nottingham, many years ago. He had been small and as black as the night, with big blue eyes. When she approached him, he had hissed and growled. Even when she offered him food, he had tried to scratch her. She had weathered the bites and the scratches, and took him home. She fed and cared for him over the next few days and soon he would eat without much fuss, only hissing if she tried to stroke him. She persisted with her gentle reassurance, and eventually, he came to accept her affection. One day, after several weeks, she reached out to stroke him, and he pressed his head into her hand and actually purred. By the time he was an old fat cat, he would spend every moment she was at home sat on her lap, or asleep next to her on the bed.

Daryl reminded her a little of that cat. He just needed time to trust people.

She finished her coffee, and got up to leave. ‘Practice tomorrow?’ she inquired.

‘Sure,’ he said. As she headed down the steps, he called after her, ‘Thanks for the coffee.’


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Daryl softening? He finds that Lilith is on his mind more than he is happy with

Daryl stepped out of the small office in the guard tower that he used as a bedroom. The dawn was heavy with moisture; a low ground mist blanketed the prison grounds. The sun was already fairly warm, so he knew it would burn off quickly.

He looked out and saw Lilith was already at the target, but instead of using her bow, she was throwing a knife, the faint _thunk_ as it sunk into the target carrying easily on the still air. He threw on a clean t-shirt and headed down to join her.

As he approached her she smiled in greeting, walking towards him as she came back from retrieving her knife. Despite the bright sun illuminating her face, he noticed the dark shadows under her eyes.

‘You look awful, girl,’ he said. ‘Didn’t you sleep?’

‘Not really,’ she shrugged. ‘I just… I don’t like it in there,’ she added squinting towards the prison.

‘It’s a lot safer than out there,’ he said, indicating towards the nearby fence with his head.

‘Yeah… I know.’ She looked down, and picked at imaginary lint on her pants. ‘It’s just…’ She didn’t finish, and seemed reluctant to share whatever it was that was keeping her awake at night. He respected her privacy so let the matter drop by changing the subject.

‘Pretty damn good with that knife,’ he said. He meant it too. She was almost as accurate with her knife as she was with the bow.

‘Thanks. I’ve had a lot of practice.’

_Another mystery,_ he thought. She was a bit of an enigma. Normally, he was happy to ignore puzzles like this, but he found the more he knew about her, the more questions he had than answers.

‘So, are we doing this shit or what?’ he asked, pointing at the knife.

‘OK, someone is keen this morning,’ she laughed. ‘Are you ready for me to beat your arse?’ she asked playfully.

He couldn’t help but smile at her taunting. She was good, but he was confident he was better.

‘I don’t have anything to worry about.’

‘Let’s make this interesting then,’ she replied, folding her arms. ‘Do you fancy a wager?’ In folding her arms, she had pushed her breasts up and together, and a soft valley of flesh was now all too visible, and Daryl was momentarily distracted.

His throat suddenly dry, he swallowed before replying. ‘What d’ya have in mind?’

Her large brown eyes stared up to the sky, and she pondered. He watched her chew on her full bottom lip, as she deliberated. ‘OK. Closest to bulls-eye wins each round. Best out of five, and if I win… I get a hug.’

He must have looked a horrified, as she started laughing at his expression. ‘We can haggle over the length, if that makes you happier,’ she said, still sniggering. ‘So, what’s your wager?’

He was finding it hard not to be caught up in her obvious amusement at his distress. He shook his head and smiled, resigned to her frivolity.

‘When I win…’ he paused, allowing her to register his confidence, which she did with a raised eyebrow. ‘…you come hunting with me tomorrow.’

‘I’d be happy to,’ she gushed.

‘You sure you’re up to it?’

‘Of course!’ she insisted.

‘OK then. Let’s do this.’

He let Lilith throw first, then he followed and won the first round. Lilith won the second and third round, and by this point, she was practically dancing with excitement. This was the first time he had seen her looking happy, her face lit up with a rare genuine smile.

Daryl won the fourth round, and her bravado immediately died down. He let her throw first for the final round. She stared at her target intently. He watched as her right hand unconsciously checked that she had the knife held in the right place, that she had the centre of its balance. She drew her arm back, and keeping her elbow and wrist perfect lined up, she released the blade which flew the twenty paces to the target and wedged itself in with a perfect bulls-eye.

‘Yes!’ she cheered.

He suppressed another smile. ‘You haven’t won yet, darlin’,’ he reminded her. ‘I still got my final throw.’

‘Ah! But you can’t win. You can’t beat my perfect bulls-eye. You can match it, and we’ll call it a draw. You don’t match it… I win,’ she said with a suggestive wiggle of eyebrows.

‘Jeez…’ he chuckled quietly.

He took a deep breath. He focused on the bulls-eye. Like Lilith had done moments before, he tested the weight and balance of the knife before lifting his arm to throw. Just as he was about release the knife, Lilith started pulling at the front of her vest to fan cool air on to her face and neck. It also flashed more of her cleavage, and images of her breasts pushed together when she had folded her arms earlier came to his mind. He briefly lost his focus. He quickly recovered but it was too late as he had already committed to the throw. The knife bounced impotently off the target.

‘Motherfucker!’ he exclaimed loudly, exasperated.

Lilith on the other hand, was whooping and cheering. All her noise was getting the walkers by the fence agitated.

‘Hey, hey… keep it down. You’re getting them worked up,’ he admonished her gently.

‘Sorry, sorry,’ she gushed quietly. Still giggling, and looking immensely pleased, she said, ‘So, do I get my hug now?’

‘Goddamn it, woman.’

‘Hey! A bet is a bet.’ She said, her eyes narrowed in scorn. They quickly softened, and she added, ‘We can haggle over the length of hug if you like. How about thirty seconds?’

‘Thirty seconds? In some countries that would mean we’re married,’ he complained.

Her laughter started again, causing another raise in the volume of hissing from the ever-present walkers. ‘Three seconds,’ he bargained.

‘Fifteen!’

He sighed. ‘Five.’

‘Done,’ she said cheerfully, and held out a hand to shake on it.

He shook her hand, shaking his head. ‘So… when do we have to do this hug?’

She held out her arms and shrugged. ‘Now?’

He sighed heavily, then immediately regretted it. He didn’t want to offend her. ‘Come on then,’ he said, stepping forward, and awkwardly putting his arms around her shoulders. He felt her arms clasp gently around his waist. She rested her head on his chest, and he found himself automatically resting his chin on top of her head. He could smell the soap she had used to clean her hair, and the soft rise of her breast pressing into his chest as she breathed.

Her arms increased their grip, and she clung to him tighter. The strength of her embrace surprised him, like someone drowning clinging to a life raft.

‘Time’s up,’ he said, and gently extricated himself from her grip.

He looked at her face. She looked saddened, despite trying to smile. He noticed that her eyes seemed a little watery, like someone about to cry. He panicked.

‘Catch you later, yeah?’ He mumbled, and headed back inside, leaving her standing alone by the target, obviously in some kind of distress.

His brain was telling him to turn around, to ask her if she was OK, but every step he took, the voice got quieter and quieter.

 

He managed to keep himself busy the rest of the day, and didn’t see Lilith again. He wasn’t sure if she had been deliberately avoiding him, or if he had been avoiding her.

That evening, he stood leaning against the rail, his eyes scanning the perimeter of the fence. Lilith appeared later with coffee, and she seemed in much better spirits when she handed him the cup than she had when he last saw her. She sat on the floor, in her usual spot, and drank in silence.

He moved next to her, and noticed a small hint of a smile when he sat down, although her eyes never left the treeline. No mention was made of their wager, or the hug.

  
Over the next few days, they slipped into a comfortable routine. They would practice first thing in the morning, go about their business during the day, then Lilith would come by in the evening with coffee. Her visits got longer and longer as they became more used to each other.

One evening, Daryl was stood waiting for Lilith to visit, while trying desperately not to look like he was waiting. He had had a shower that afternoon when he got back from a hunt, because he didn’t want to smell like dead possum when she turned up.

It was getting late, and she was usually there by now. He found himself getting anxious, her absence agonisingly obvious. Eventually, he realised she wasn’t coming, and so went to sleep, her face on his mind.

The next morning she arrived for practice as usual.

‘Morning,’ she smiled, although he could see immediately her smile wasn’t genuine.

‘Yes it is,’ he said sarcastically. He was frustrated that there was no explanation of her absence yesterday, despite knowing deep down she didn’t owe him one.

As they practiced, he could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she pursed her lips hard. She seemed a little annoyed, upset even, but it didn’t seem to be directed at him.

His own frustration disappeared as his concern for her grew.

‘You seem distracted today,’ he finally commented.

‘Yeah, sorry. Just stuff… and things…’ her answer trailed off, incomplete.

Daryl’s clumsy attempt to determine the cause of her slump was unsuccessful. Frustrated at his social ineptitude, he let the matter drop.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith and Daryl go hunting for food

Lilith leaned forward, her hands rested on her knees as she struggled to gain her breath back. She stood up straight, and paced back and forth through the sun-bleached grass of the enclosure. There was a tarmac area round the side of the prison, some kind of exercise yard, but she preferred to run in site of the cell block’s entrance, and Daryl’s tower.

The sun was high in the sky, and the temperature was almost unbearable. Lilith’s vest was drenched, and her cargo pants were clinging to her legs. _Time for a cold shower,_ she thought. She headed to her cell and grabbed a clean vest out of her bag and a towel. As she left her cell, she almost collided with Daryl.

‘Come on, we’re going huntin’,’ he told her.

‘Hunting? Hunting what?’ she stammered.

‘Food. What d’ya think?’ he smirked at her. ‘You might wanna change though, I can smell you from here.’

Her cheeks flushed, and Lilith narrowed her eyes in annoyance. ‘I was just about to head to the showers, actually,’ she spat at him, waving her hands containing the towel and clean clothes.

Daryl glanced at the clothes. ‘Well hurry up then. Time’s wastin’, girl’

She flashed him the dirtiest look she could muster as she slipped by, but he seemed untroubled by it. As she headed towards the showers, she realised he was following her.

‘What are you doing?’ she yelled. ‘Go wait outside!’ Her face was scarlet but she was pleased to note he stopped in his tracks.

She marched off, relishing the thought of the cold water against her hot cheeks.

  
After a quicker shower than anticipated, and wearing her clean vest, she rinsed out her dirty clothes and took them back to her cell to dry on the makeshift clothes line she and Amy strung from the small window to the bars of their cell.

She grabbed her bow and quiver, making sure she put in the carbon arrows with the steel broad head tips, and headed outside where Daryl was waiting. As she approached, she saw that his cheeks coloured slightly, his shrewd eyes unable to hold her steely gaze.

She thought he looked embarrassed, but he didn’t apologise for his earlier rudeness or nearly following her into the shower. He quickly recovered, and walked towards one of the vehicles, issuing orders to her as they walked. His walk had the sinuous grace of a predator, like a wolf or a big cat.

‘We’ll drive to some nearby woods. They’re quieter than around here. There’s too many walkers drawn to the prison. When we get out of the vehicle, you follow my lead at all times. If I say run, you run. Don’t be a hero. If I go down, you leave, d’ya understand?’

Lilith nodded. ‘Uh-huh.’

‘I’m serious,’ he reiterated, stepping closer to her, his blue eyes fierce.

‘Yes, yes, I understand,’ she said, alarmed at his persistence. She watched as his eyes visibly softened, and seemingly millions of unreadable emotions danced across his face, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he was about to say something more.

Instead, he turned, and jumped behind the wheel of an old Land Rover. Lilith climbed in on the passenger seat, and sat in silence as he drove them out of the compound. She watched in the wing mirror as Glenn wheeled the gate closed behind them.

‘I’m pretty sure I caught site of a large buck when I was in that area last time. We probably won’t see it today. All I’m expectin’ to get is a few rabbits. Damn buck’s probably been eaten by some disease-bearin’ motherless poxy-bastard.’

Lilith laughed; one of those loud bark-like laughs when someone says something unexpectedly funny. The fact he took a walker eating prey he hadn’t even caught yet so personally amused her.

‘Oh, you think I’m funny?’ He asked, trying to look insulted, but failing.

Lilith just laughed more, and nodded, tears now starting to form in her eyes.

Daryl smiled at her. It was the first proper smile she had seen on his face, and she had to admit, it looked good there.

‘Shit, woman,’ he muttered as his eyes went back to the road, shaking his head at her delight.

  
After about ten miles Daryl drove the vehicle off the road and along a wide overgrown track further into the forest.  When the track became too overgrown he stopped, and cautiously got out of the vehicle.

He scanned the area around them, looking and listening for the tell-tale sounds of clumsy walkers that could be heading towards them, attracted by the noise of the engine. Apart from a gentle breeze rustling through the trees, and the caw of a lonely Blue Jay, it was quiet.

It was a lot cooler under the canopy of the forest, and Daryl was relishing being out of the sun for a while. He glanced at his companion who was scanning the area wide-eyed looking for prey or walkers, he wasn’t sure which. He kept going, treading as carefully as possible, but Lilith was unwittingly making enough noise for the two of them. _If we catch anything today it will be a fucking miracle,_ he moaned to himself.

A dart of grey on the trunk of a nearby beech tree caused Daryl to freeze and raise his bow, ready to fire. A second later, the carcass of a squirrel was pinned to the tree. He ran over, yanked out the arrow, and fastened the small mammal to his belt. It wasn’t quite a meal, but it was a start.

Lilith caught up with him. He leaned in close. ‘Wait here. That clearing over there is where I saw a couple of rabbits last time. Big ‘uns too. There must be a warren around here. I’m gonna just go and stand a few feet away, over there, OK?’

She nodded, and he saw her turn her gaze to the clearing, an arrow nocked, ready to draw if she saw anything. He quietly moved about twelve feet round to the right, and a little closer to the clearing, hidden slightly by a rotting fallen chestnut oak. His senses were heightened, his hands ready to fire.

Silent minutes went by. He was impressed that Lilith didn’t fidget or make any noise. She stood like a statue, scanning the area. He noticed one or two more squirrels moving in the trees above, but he ignored them for now. He was after something a little bigger.

So focused looking for rabbits, he almost didn’t register the nearby snap of a twig on the forest floor. Something was making its way towards them from his 2 o’clock, and it was much bigger than a rabbit. His stance changed, and he brought up the bow. Whatever it was, it was moving to the left. He tracked its movement, not even glancing at Lilith. If it was a walker, he would be able to take it before it got anywhere near her.

A head broke through the thick foliage; a head that had horns, flared nostrils, and huge liquid black eyes. The buck froze, sensing their presence. It snorted as it sniffed the air. Daryl silently willed it to move further from its cover. From this angle, he didn’t have a clear shot. The lower branches of the pine tree it stood next to were blocking him.

What seemed like forever, Daryl waited for the buck to make a move. He considered stepping to his left to get a better shot, but he knew the second he moved it would be off. There was a thwack sound to his left, and he saw a shaft fly across the clearing, and thud into the creature’s neck.

The beast was fatally wounded but not dead. With a scream it turned and ran. Daryl raced after it, he knew that it wouldn’t get far. After about thirty feet it slowed, then stumbled, weakened from blood loss. As he approached, its eyes turned to him, full of fear and distress. Daryl raised his bow and aimed for its heart.

‘Sorry, brother,’ he muttered, and took the shot.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith tells Daryl some of her past, and how a British city girl ended up in the wilds of Georgia

Lilith came up from behind him, and her face blanched at the sight of the dead deer. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she suppressed an anguished cry. Her eyes filled with tears, and when she blinked they spilled to run down her cheeks.

Daryl had a hard time relating to the grief. He grew up in the country and had hunted for his own food since he could walk, but he knew Lilith was a city girl. She had never had to kill an animal before. He found it strange that she seemed more affected by the killing of this dumb animal than she had the walker she killed in town.

He didn’t walk away from her this time, but he didn’t move to comfort her either. This was her reality now. She had to learn that. He stood nearby in awkward silence while she recovered. When her hushed tears subsided, she looked at him, and nodded that she was OK. He pulled the two shafts from the deer and handed the arrow to Lilith.  He clipped his bolt back in its holder then slung the crossbow on his back. He grabbed the antlers and started to haul the carcass towards the truck.

It must have weighed about 180lb, and his arms bulged under the strain. Lilith stowed her bow on her back and grabbed one of the antlers. _Shoulda brought Tyreese’s damn rope,_ he thought. It was easier between them, but it was about 150 feet to the vehicle and by the time they got there they were both exhausted. They sat for a few minutes against the tyres to catch their breath.

‘I’ll get in the back and pull, if you push,’ Lilith suggested as she got up.

Daryl nodded his agreement. He got in position with a good grip on the creature’s haunches waiting for Lilith’s signal. She took her bow off and placed it on the passenger seat, wiped her brow on her arm, then grabbed the horns and looked up at him.

‘Get down!’ she yelled.

Instinctively, he dropped to a crouch, turning his body to see what had caught her attention. A walker was stumbling towards them several feet away. Before he had time to react, a knife whistled past his ear and stuck in the walker’s head. The creature immediately stopped and tipped backwards, unmoving.

Daryl sat for a second, wiping the sweat from his eyes while his heart raced. He walked over to the corpse and pulled the knife from the dead man’s head. ‘Motherfucker!’ he uttered, as he drove his foot viciously into its fetid rib cage.

It was a young man, in a fairly fresh state of decomposition. He was dressed in a stained red shirt, with a black and white G on it.

‘UGA,’ Lilith said quietly at his side.

Daryl wiped the blade clean on the man’s shirt, and handed the knife back to her, handle first.

‘Thanks.’ He said gratefully. She didn’t reply, and he watched as she stared at the dead boy. He wondered if she was going to cry again, but there were no more tears. He started to walk back to the Land Rover, and realised she wasn’t following him. He reached out, and touched her arm gently.

She flinched, which surprised him so much he pulled his arm back quickly. She looked a little in shock, but he needed her to snap out of it. Where there was one walker, there was likely more.

‘Come on. I ain’t got all day to stand around sight-seeing,’ he barked at her.

She seemed to come out of her trance then, and moved quickly back into the vehicle. She grabbed the antlers again, getting ready to pull, looking to him to give the go ahead. Daryl gave a quick look over his shoulder this time before grunting, ‘Pull!’

  
When they arrived back at the prison, and were safely behind the gates, Daryl waved at Glenn who came jogging over, closely followed by Rick. He threw open the back door, and revealed the deer.

‘I brought dinner.’

‘Aww, how the hell am I supposed to get that to the kitchen?’ Glenn moaned.

‘Not my problem, Short Round.’

‘Good hunting, Daryl,’ said Rick, clapping him on the shoulder. ‘Well done. That will keep us in meat for several days.’

‘Wasn’t me,’ he explained, a hint of pride in his voice. ‘It was Robin Hood,’ he added, nodding towards Lilith. Rick walked over to the woman who was leaning against the side of the vehicle and shook her hand.

‘Did you get any trouble out there?’ asked Glenn.

‘Just the one walker. Nearly got the jump on me too, but Lilith got him with her knife.’

‘So let me get this straight,’ asked the young Asian. ‘Lilith shot the deer, and she saved your ass by killing a walker?’

‘Yup,’ answered Daryl. Lilith was blushing now, clearly uncomfortable with the praise and attention.

‘Kinda wonder why we need to keep your miserable ass around then,’ Glenn joked, tapping Daryl in the stomach, and winking at Lilith as he walked by to find help moving the deer.

  
That evening, Lilith brought coffee as usual.

She was grateful that they had found a huge can of dried coffee on one of their last trips into the town. It wasn’t nearly as good as freshly brewed, but it was all they had. Dinner had been a disappointing bowl of noodles made with a weak stock and some dried mushrooms. Apparently the deer would need to be hung a day or two until rigour had faded before it could be butchered, but even then, with almost fifty people to feed, it would only last a few days.  Until then, everyone had to make do with some of the tinned goods they had salvaged. Even with almost daily runs into the nearby towns and suburbs, it was difficult to keep up with feeding the group.

He raised his mug, ‘Cheers.’

‘Sláinte,’ she replied with a smile, and chinked her mug against his.

‘Tough day,’ he commented. Lilith wasn’t sure if he had meant it as a question or a statement, but she nodded her agreement.

‘That was a pretty good shot for your first deer kill,’ he complimented. Her face fell at the memory of the beautiful animal lying in the forest.

‘You did good, girl.’ He reassured her.

She smiled at his kind comments. ‘Thank you,’ she responded thoughtfully. ‘And I am sorry about… earlier,’ she added as she waved a hand unconsciously in the vague direction of where they had hunted. ‘About being a total girl.’

He stared thoughtfully at her for a few moments, and she felt a little awkward under his scrutiny. ‘The world’s changed. I need to change with it,’ she finally added.

‘I was sure grateful for your knife skills out there today,’ he told her. ‘Where did you learn to do that? In Nottingham?’

‘No,’ she laughed drily. ‘I learned it here, in Georgia.’

Daryl’s brow furrowed in confusion. Lilith looked down at the seam on her pants that she fiddled nervously with, some internal debate going on behind her dark eyes. With a brief sigh, she started to talk.

‘I moved to Atlanta about 18 months ago from London where I had been working at University College London. I was working as a database administrator in the biology department. We had a visiting professor come over from UGA.’

She shrugged, then continued her story. ‘We went on a few dates, he swept me off my feet with his southern charm,’ she laughed. ‘Before I knew it I was married and moved to Atlanta.’ She looked over at Daryl, who sat without comment so she carried on.

‘Soon after my residency issues were sorted, he started to change. I realised too late that I was little more than a possession of his. Rather than being suave and charming, I found he was petty, arrogant, selfish and a womaniser. We had a big house in one of the wealthy quarters of the city, and he started buying lots of high-tech security, putting in a panic room, stock piling provisions like water and food.’

She stopped to drain the last of her coffee.

‘He already did several kinds of martial arts when I met him. I just thought he was a fitness nut, but now I think he was some kind of paranoid prepper. I started doing the knife throwing soon after I moved here. I thought it would bring us closer together if we had something in common, you know?’

Daryl sat in silence. His face was passive, but she could almost see the hundreds of thoughts passing behind his perceptive eyes, digesting what she had told him.

‘Where is he now?’ he asked finally.

‘When everything went to hell, he put up the defences and we were in lockdown. Since I had just told him I wanted a divorce, you can imagine how cosy that was. He lorded it over me, pointing out how clever he was for being prepared, how stupid I was for doubting him. What he didn’t account for was shoddy workmanship from the cheap labour he hired. About three months into the lockdown, he stood on a nail sticking out of a wooden floor which went right through his foot. I think he got tetanus, because after about two weeks later the lock jaw started, followed by the muscle spasms. He couldn’t eat or drink properly, but I think his lungs shut down long before he had a chance to starve to death.’

Lilith paused, staring into space for a second.

‘Less than two weeks after he fell ill, he died. I didn’t know exactly what was happening outside, but I knew I didn’t want to stay there. I packed a few things in a bag, some clothes, a little food and water. My husband had the keys to the house on him, so I went to get them. It was while I had my hand in his pocket that he sat up… and tried to bite me. I fled, managed to avoid the walkers long enough to make it to the outskirts of the city. I scavenged in the suburbs for a while, then made it out into the country.’

‘Is that when you ended up in Woodbury?’ he asked.

‘More or less,’ she answered cryptically.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol is fishing for information on Daryl's friendship with Lilith

Daryl sat quietly, not sure what to say. He was pleased to finally know a little bit more about her. He watched as she picked up her coffee mug, and peered briefly into the empty vessel. He wished he could offer her a refill, suddenly not wanting her to leave just yet, he wanted to know more. She gave him a sad smile, wished him a goodnight, then left for the cell blocks, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Lilith was still in his thoughts the next morning when he met Carol on his way to the shower.

‘I haven’t seen much of you for a while,’ she chastised him gently.

‘I’ve been around,’ he answered. ‘You know where I am most of the time,’ he indicated towards the tower with his head.

‘Well, yes but… I thought perhaps you had company, and wanted some privacy.’

Daryl’s jaw clenched in annoyance as his eye’s narrowed. Carol was unsubtly fishing for information about his friendship with Lilith. _If she’s that interested, why doesn’t she just come out and ask me?_

‘If you mean Lilith, we’re just friends,’ he snapped at her. He made a move to walk away.

‘Daryl, please. Look, I… I think she’s lovely,’ Carol added. ‘But, I just worry she’s coming on a bit strong.’

Daryl sighed. She was being nosey, but he knew that it was born out of concern for him. ‘It’s not like that,’ he answered much softer. ‘You jealous?’ he teased.

Carol blushed. ‘No! It’s just… well, Sasha doesn’t like her. She says she is ‘one cold tough bitch’, and I just don’t want to see you getting hurt.’

He was surprised to hear someone describe Lilith as cold. He found her quite warm. She was a little nervous around people, a loner, but he had seen her behave nothing but considerately towards others.

‘She may appear tough but she’s just as broken as I am. As we are,’ he corrected. ‘She’s just good at hiding it is all.’

‘Like you,’ she smiled.

  
Lilith spent most of the afternoon employing her archery skills as part of a team working to clear out the walkers from the rest of the prison. It wasn’t until during supper she noticed a few of the children staring at her blood-stained clothes that she realised what a mess she was in.

As soon as she had eaten, she fetched some clean clothes and headed to the showers. After scrubbing herself almost raw, she washed the gore-ridden clothes getting out most of the stains.

She debated whether to take over a coffee to Daryl, as it was now much later than she would normally go over. As she stood in the doorway of her cell towelling her long hair, she could see a faint light in the guard tower through the window.

 _Why the hell not_ , she thought. _Worst thing he can do is tell me to fuck off._

  
When she got to the top of the tower steps, he wasn’t sat on the floor of the platform as she was expecting, but she noticed the door to the small office was open slightly.

With her hands full, she hooked the toes of her right foot and pulled it open. ‘Knock knock,’ she announced sheepishly.

To her surprise, Daryl was stood just the other side of the door shirtless. She gaped open-mouthed as her eyes scanned down his slim but muscular frame. His tanned shoulders were broad in comparison to his narrow waist. A light dusting of reddish brown hair grew across his pectorals, and another darker patch trailed from his navel down into the waist band of his pants. Her grip loosened a little on one of the cups, and hot coffee spilled on to her hands. It was enough to cause her to regain her wits.

‘Oh God, I’m sorry!’ she exclaimed, flustered.

Daryl pulled the sleeveless t-shirt he had in his hand over his head. ‘It’s okay,’ he said quietly, as he pulled the garment down. ‘I was just about to turn in.’

‘Oh. Right.’ Lilith could feel her cheeks burning as she looked around and spotted the mattress on the floor. It looked identical to the ones in the cells. ‘I er.. I will just leave this here then,’ she mumbled leaning past him to place one of the coffee cups on a small desk under the window.

She looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction to her obvious intrusion, but he was unreadable as always. ‘Thanks,’ he said gratefully, and she relaxed a little.

She stepped backwards over the threshold of the small office, and hovered there, hesitant to be back within the stark walls of the cell blocks.

‘Would you mind if I stayed here a little while… just until I have drank my coffee?’ She chewed her lip awaiting his response.

Daryl stared back at her, his eyes almost navy in the dim light. ‘Suit yourself,’ he replied with a shrug. Using his right foot, he pushed off his left boot, and did the same for the other. As Lilith sat in her usual spot opposite the door, he lay down on the mattress, but left the door open.

  
Despite the scorching temperatures of the day, the cloudless sky above did nothing to prevent the day’s heat from fading. The night air was cool, so Daryl grabbed an unzipped sleeping bag and pulled it over him as a quilt.

His body was exhausted from another long day and he found it difficult to remain awake, yet was extremely conscious that Lilith was still sat only a few feet away. He lifted his head slightly and he could see her sat staring out over the trees.

He was slowly beginning to accept that the group relied on him. It made him feel good knowing he was needed, but Lilith was the only one that ever came to see him just for company, or conversation. Rick, Glenn and the others would regularly seek him out, but they always wanted something.

Carol would ask how he was when she saw him, but she had others to care for now. She had spent so long caring for her husband and daughter, now both were gone, she directed that maternal instinct towards the group and the refugees from Woodbury.

Lilith was like him; alone. She was a strong, brave woman. Someone people could depend on if they needed something done, but did anyone take the time to just ask her how she is? It occurred to him he had never asked her that either.

Despite her revelations yesterday, there was still something she was holding back. Some part of her life she was unwilling to share. Being trapped in a house with her dead husband would have been unpleasant, but he didn’t think it fully explained the haunted look she had sometimes, the way she flinched if anyone touched her, the tension in her shoulders when she was in a crowd.

He lifted his head to look at her again. She had her arms folded on one of the railing rungs, her chin rested on her hands. She was wearing a sleeveless vest, and even from this distance, he could see the goose bumps on her arms in the moonlight.

‘You’re gonna catch your death out there,’ he shouted over. ‘Either go back to your room or come inside. Either way, just shut the damn door.’

He watched her stand, then quickly laid his head back down and closed his eyes trying to look nonchalant. He heard the door click closed and held his breath as he wondered what side of it she was on. After a second, he heard the sound of her sliding down the door to sit in the dark.

The room started to warm a little now the door was closed. His mind’s eye replayed the image of her standing. She had moved gracefully, like he imagined a dancer would. He replayed the image of the muscles in her lithe thighs moving under the soft denim of her Levi’s, and the ripple of her triceps beneath the fair skin of her British complexion.

He lifted his head once more. As his sight became adjusted to the muted light from the little moonlight that made it through the dirty windows, he could just make out her outline. _Was she going to sit there all night?_

He couldn’t relax. With a resigned sigh, he lifted the cover. ‘Come on,’ he offered. ‘Get in.’

Before he had a chance to change his mind, she crawled onto the mattress and laid next to him, pulling the cover over her cool skin, her back towards him. When she was settled, she murmured a quiet thank you. He didn’t respond. He just closed his eyes and went to sleep.

When he woke the next morning, she was gone.

‘Coulda made me breakfast,’ he complained to the empty room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback reveals a darkness in Lilith's past

Lilith was running again. Her heart beat hard in her chest, and her lungs burned with each ragged breath. She tripped over the lumpy grass, and as she scrambled to get back on her feet, she felt a vice-like grip around her ankles. She yelped, and looked over her shoulder.

One of the men had jumped out of the pick-up truck used to chase her down, and was now in the process of tying her feet together. Despite her struggles, his large hands had an unbreakable grip.

A second man was soon at her side, and stuffed a filthy handkerchief in her mouth.

‘Don’t want her screams bringin’ the roamers,’ he chuckled to the younger man at her feet.

Once he had silenced her, he held her down while a third man, the driver, tied her hands together. He was a huge man, with a large beer gut that hung over grimy beige pants, and a baseball hat over dark greasy hair. He tried to pick her up by the shoulders, and as he brought her near him, she head-butted him straight in the nose.

‘ARRGGHH! You’re gonna pay for that, ya fuckin’ bitch.’ His voice sounded nasal, and Lilith enjoyed a brief moment of satisfaction that she had probably broken his nose, before his giant hand swung around into her jaw and she was unconscious.

When she woke, she was in the back of the pick-up with two of the men, one of which had a shot gun pointed at her. He had on dark navy denims and no shirt. He was probably in his early 50s, with wild curly grey hair and several indiscernible tattoos that had lost all shape and meaning as his flesh aged and sagged.

‘Mornin’ sweet pea. Did ya have a good nap?’ he said with mocking concern. ‘Earl’s real pissed you broke his nose. You’re gonna live to regret that.’

The other man, the one that had tied her ankles, was younger, and he started to chuckle. He looked to be in his late teens and wore a t-shirt with NASCAR on it. His dirty-blond hair was in a style she could only describe as a mullet.

‘Am I gonna get to fuck her too, Pa?’ the younger man asked.

‘No, son. I told ya, not ‘til your 21.’

The teenager didn’t seem happy about this, and his lips pouted.

‘Ya can bust your nut in her mouth if ya want,’ the man with the shot gun said.

Lilith started to panic and whimper in fright, as she struggled fruitlessly against her bonds when she realised what these men were going to do to her.

  
The pick-up eventually stopped outside a run-down shack. The grey wood of the sidings was smattered with peeling white paint, and the corrugated metal roof was rusted and patchy with moss. They dragged her into the building and threw her onto a filthy mattress that smelled like piss and mildew.

Lilith could do nothing but lay there, her eyes wet with tears, and snot running down her upper lip to soak into the handkerchief.

‘So who’s gonna go first?’ asked the white-haired man as he propped his shot gun against the wall.

‘I am,’ growled Earl.

‘But I spotted her first,’ whined the older man.

‘Shut the fuck up, Don. S’my truck, my shack. I git to go first.’

Earl grinned at her, as he ran his tongue over his tobacco-stained teeth in anticipation. ‘Now then, pretty one. Let’s see what we got here.’

As Don held her arms fast, Earl roughly pulled her jeans as well as her panties down to as far as her knees. He didn’t unfasten her ankles, but flipped her over onto her stomach. Lilith felt nauseous and could hear him fumbling with his clothes behind her. Hot tears burned her cheeks as she helplessly awaited the assault.

  
She was running again. This time, she was alone other than the ever-present walkers on the other side of the fence.

She had had the best night’s sleep in months lying next to Daryl. His quiet presence had a soporific effect. In the light of day, the faces of her captors haunted her once again. Her lungs burned, and her muscles ached but she forced herself to keep going, to keep running. She ran as fast as she could, trying in vain to outrun her nightmares. She would never be caught again.

  
Daryl felt his heart rate increase when he heard Lilith’s footsteps coming up the stairs with coffee that evening. Part of him was eager to see her, but the other part dreaded any awkward conversations regarding last night.

To his great relief, she sat down and gave him his cup with a silent smile. They each drank their respective beverages in quiet companionship, and no mention of the previous night’s sleeping arrangement was made.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about it himself. Lilith had him confused. He felt more at ease in her company than he did any other person he had met in a long time, yet she also agitated him. His relationships with the other people in the prison were much more straight-forward. He knew where he stood with them. With Lilith, he thought about her when she wasn’t around, yet when she was, his first instinct was to push her away.

His usual abrasive nature hadn’t worked. Normally that was enough to keep people at arm’s length, but whether Lilith wasn’t bothered or just didn’t notice, it hadn’t work with her. This pleased him and annoyed him in equal measure.

He was frightened. He had built an invisible barrier around him to keep people at bay, but she seemed immune for some reason. She simply ignored it, and he could feel her gradually chipping away at it, and he was terrified at what would happen should it fall.

Their conversation was minimal, not surprisingly a little quieter than usual. After their coffee was drunk, Lilith got up and left with her usual sad smile. He considered inviting her to stay, but wasn’t sure if he wanted her to say yes or no.

  
Daryl was putting some empty bags into the back of one of the vans they had, getting ready to go on a supplies run into the town when Rick approached him.

‘Do you know what we need?’

‘Yeah, I got a list off Beth earlier.’

Rick nodded. ‘Are you taking Lilith with you?’

Daryl stopped what he was doing, and squinted at Rick in the sunlight. ‘No, why?’ he asked defensively.

‘No reason,’ said the deputy. ‘She’s proving to be quite an asset is all.’

Daryl just stared at his friend. He agreed, she was a very capable woman, but he wanted to know where these questions were leading before he said anything.

Undeterred by Daryl’s silence, Rick continued his interrogation. ‘So, are you two… more than just a good team?’

‘It’s not like that,’ Daryl muttered.

Rick just stared at him, obviously wanting more. ‘Then what is it like?’ he asked finally.

Eventually, Daryl confessed. ‘I don’t honestly know.’


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith gets Daryl to open up about his childhood

Lilith climbed the stairs to the guard tower and was surprised and disappointed to find Daryl absent. She hesitated, wondering whether to go back to her cell block, but decided instead to sit down. She looked at the door to the little office, where two nights ago she had spent several peaceful hours laid next to Daryl.

Just thinking his name brought a smile unbidden to her lips. She liked Daryl, even though he could be incredibly unlikeable most of the time. She knew he wasn’t quite as abrasive as he made himself out to be. It was a defence mechanism, but a defence against what she was yet to determine. She found herself drawn to Daryl because, unlike most guys, he didn’t appear to treat women any different to men. He never patronised women, he never gave deference to women in some thinly disguised misogyny, nor did he look like he was constantly picturing them naked. He was sexually non-threating, and this had allowed her to feel safe and comfortable in his company.

Lying in the dark next to him that night had changed things. The heat that had radiated from him warmed not only her skin, but her soul. She knew he would never appreciate what an act of kindness he had done that day, inviting her into his personal space. Her heart raced now at the memory of his scent. It wasn’t a stale or foul smell, it was just a manly smell, part soap, part laundry detergent, and part Daryl. Last night had felt cold and empty without him. He had been on her mind all day, and she found she no longer considered him a genderless colleague. She now saw him as a man; a good and gentle man, a fierce and loyal man. Despite her recent past, she knew now she wanted to know him as a man.

Her thoughts consumed her so much, she never heard the sound of someone approaching from behind.

  
When Daryl reached the top of the stairs, his stomach lurched at the site of Lilith sat in her usual spot although the smell of the cheap coffee had alerted him of her presence. He stood behind her, his steps naturally quiet and stealthy, and he realised she hadn’t heard him approach.

Her hair was plaited in one long dark plait that hung almost to her waist. Her hair looked smooth and soft, and he imagined running his fingers through it. It was then he noticed that with his height advantage, he could clearly see down the front of her vest to the smooth flesh of her breasts. Flustered, he felt guilty and voyeuristic, and with a cough and a light brush of his fingers against her bare shoulder, he alerted her to his presence.

With a gasp she whipped her head around so fast she nearly spilled her coffee. She visible relaxed when she saw him. ‘Hey there,’ she laughed.

‘Would you like me to Irish that up for you?’ he asked with a grin, and waved a bottle of Jamesons at her.

She held out her cup, a huge smile on her face. He poured a good measure into the mug, and she then held up the other cup. Once he had added a little of the whiskey, she passed it to him.

‘Where did this come from?’ she asked, closing her eyes and moaning in pleasure as the warm spirit slipped down her throat.

‘Me and Tyreese went on a supplies run this afternoon. Rather than hitting downtown, we hit the suburbs and found a house with a fuck load of canned and dried foods hoarded.

‘That was a stroke of luck,’ she complimented. ‘It was a good idea to hit the suburbs.’

‘It was Tyreese’ idea. Beth and Carol are in there now, cooing over it all. We got a few more tins of coffee and three bottles of whiskey. I left them two, and brought this one just for us.’

Lilith blushed a little, and he realised what he had said. ‘Well, you deserve it,’ she answered quickly. ‘Sláinte,’ she toasted.

He chinked his mug against hers, and took a good swallow of the coffee. He grimaced as it was almost cold, but the whiskey made it bearable. He quickly drained the rest of the coffee, then proceeded to top up his mug again with more of the caramel-coloured spirit. He held the bottle towards Lilith, his eyebrows raised questioningly. He watched as she tipped her head back to drain the last of her coffee, then held out her mug. He topped it up, almost to the top.

‘Are you trying to get me drunk, Mr Dixon?’ she joked, then laughed when she saw the awkward expression on his face. ‘This is the first alcohol I have had in almost a year,’ she confessed. ‘I fear I may be a cheap date.’

A date? He blushed at her choice of words. He tried scowling at her, but she just laughed at him. It was futile. He couldn’t help but smile at the constant amusement she found in his awkwardness.

‘It would be the first date I ever had,’ he said, instantly unsure why he blurted that out. _Goddamn whiskey_.

Lilith stopped laughing, and looked at him strangely. Was she mocking him again? Or worse, was she pitying him?

‘Tell me about your brother,’ she asked changing the subject. He hadn’t expected that. ‘Tell me about where you grew up,’ she asked again.

Daryl rubbed at the itchy stubble on his chin. _Where to start?_

‘I grew up in in the mountains of Cherokee County in the north. When I was little more than an ankle biter, my momma died in a fire.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ she commiserated, placing her smaller hand over his as it rested in his lap. Her skin seemed to almost burn him. His instinct was to pull away, but he forced his hand to remain.

‘It’s okay. I don’t much recall my momma, and the house wasn’t up to much anyhow. Both her and my pa drank heavily, and the neighbours that rescued me reckoned she’d fell asleep with a cigarette lit. Merle was about 12 or 13 at the time, and away doing his first stretch in juvie. My pa was probably out getting wasted or fightin’ which is how he spent most of his days. He was an angry miserable man. Him an’ Merle would fight something awful, regularly coming to blows. My pa would take the switch to him, his belt, fists or whatever he had to hand. When my brother wasn’t in a detention centre, he was usually out robbin’ and fighting, or selling drugs.’

Daryl paused for a moment, memories of fights he had witnessed between his father, Will, and Merle replaying in his mind’s eye.

‘Then who was looking after you?’ Lilith asked, the grip on his hand tightening.

‘No one, really. Merle would some, when he was around, but I mostly fended for myself. I remember one time I was about 11, and I was tracking in the woods and got lost for a whole nine days. I lived off wild berries until I found my way home. I just walked in the back door half starvin’ and made myself a sandwich. My pa hadn’t even noticed I’d been gone. Once Merle left home, pa turned the switch on me.’

‘That’s terrible, Daryl.’

He looked in her eyes, and they were large and sad, more so than usual.

‘Pay it no mind. I’m here, I survived,’ he said with a smile. ‘I left home at 15, and joined up with Merle. He could be rude, unpleasant, and a racist. He dealt in drugs, and anything else he could make a buck at. He had some fucked up ideals, but he was never truly bad. You know?’ He looked at her, and she nodded.

‘He would give me a hard time, tried to make me just like him. He was a tough son of a bitch, but he was the only family that I had, the only family that ever cared.’

‘Until now,’ Lilith interrupted.

Daryl thought about his new family, this band of survivors. ‘Until now,’ he agreed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith opens up to Daryl and reveals the dark secret she has been harbouring

Lilith grabbed the bottle, and topped up the mugs with more whiskey. She was starting to feel tipsy, and was enjoying the buzz.

‘To Merle,’ she toasted.

‘To Merle,’ Daryl echoed.

‘You know, if this past year has taught me anything, it’s that my whole life before the world went to shit was utterly worthless and pointless. It’s people like you and your brother that will survive this thing, if it ever blows over.’

‘Nah. It’s nerds like you that will figure out how to end it. Everyone knows I’m nothing but a dumb redneck,’ he joked.

‘Don’t put yourself down,’ she chastised him gently. ‘And don’t concern yourself with your reputation. Your reputation is merely what others think of you, and what does that matter at the end of the day? Concern yourself with your character because that is what you really are.’

He mulled over her words. Despite being much smarter than him, she never treated him like a dumb country boy. Even with everything she knew about him, she had never once treated him as inferior. ‘You’re starting to sound like Hershel,’ he laughed softly.

‘Then Hershel is a wise man,’ she chuckled. ‘To rednecks!’ she cheered as she raised her mug.

‘To nerds!’ he toasted in response.

Lilith laughed, and felt warmth in her belly when she saw the smile on Daryl’s face and knew it wasn’t just from the whiskey.

‘Do you think they’ll ever fix things?’ she asked, her face suddenly serious.

‘Dunno,’ he shrugged.

The mood was quickly becoming maudlin, as each of them considered the futility of their situation.

‘What do you miss most from before?’ she asked, with an enthusiastic smile. Happy that the conversation turned to brighter things, he smiled back.

‘I dunno, really. What about you?’

‘Music. I miss music the most. When I was young I would spend every penny of my pocket money on vinyl records, then later, on CD’s. When I was a little older I would go to concerts. In recent years I would always have my iPod or radio on when working.’

‘What kinda music you listen to?’

‘Oh, a mixture of stuff. I like most kinds, but love anything loud. The bands I went to see live where Motorhead, Buzzcocks, Blondie… that kinda thing.’

‘You like Motorhead?’ he laughed looking incredulous.

‘Yes,’ she frowned while smiling. ‘Why?’

‘No reason. I like Motorhead. My brother fucking loved them,’ he said wistfully.

‘So, go on tell me, what do you miss the most?’

Daryl went quiet as he thought, then shrugged. ‘Not much really. My life was pretty shit way before all this happened.’

Lilith looked at the strange man next to her. He suddenly seemed so vulnerable. The weird juxtapose of his strong and capable nature against this more helpless and damaged aspect was strangely compelling.

‘Sometimes, people with the worst pasts end up having the best futures,’ she said softly. ‘I think there’s a strength that comes from fumbling your way out of the darkness. You have that strength, I can see it.’ She poked her finger into the taught tricep of his arm to emphasise her point.

‘I can see that strength in you too, girl,’ he said quietly. ‘Yet you jump a mile if anyone so much as touches you. What’s that all about?’

Lilith chewed her lip. She looked into his eyes, so ingenuous, so caring.

‘Wow, okay. So, I guess it’s that time,’ she gulped. She took a deep sigh, and swallowed the last of the whiskey in her mug.

‘I came to Woodbury because two people from there found me stumbling about the forest. I was in such a state; they almost shot me as a walker until I spoke to them. When they found me, I was half-starved, dehydrated and had a broken collarbone. Prior to that… I’d been held captive by three men for about four months. They beat me, and… raped me.’

She could feel her eyes already filling with hot angry tears. She didn’t dare look at Daryl.

‘During my abuse, I would let my mind wander free, let it be anywhere but in my body. I would lay there, an unwilling participant. That would anger them, and often spark the beating sessions. One day, one of them made the mistake of thinking my inert state was docility and compliance. He removed my gag, and tried to kiss me, so I bit off his tongue. As he clawed at his bloody mouth, I was able to grab the knife in his boot, and stabbed him in the head. Repeatedly.’

The tears flowed freely now, her voice raw with emotion.

‘After I was sure he was dead, I cut my bonds and ran from the house. I spotted a shotgun by the door and grabbed it. The other two came back from wherever they had been just as I was fleeing, dressed in nothing but dirty rags. I shot one in the chest, but the other threw himself at me. He was a big guy and the fall broke my collarbone.’

She unconsciously touched her shoulder, where there was still some stiffness even now.

‘We struggled as he tried to wrest the gun from me. He finally prized it from my grasp and was pointing it at me. I begged and pleaded for him to shoot me. I wanted to die right then. It was at that moment, the man I had shot in the chest got up. He’d been dead, but he wasn’t anymore. He reached his friend and bit into the back of his shoulder. My flight response kicked in, and I left that big bastard there, getting eaten by his friend. I kept running and running until I couldn’t hear his screams any longer.’

Her hands flew to her face to cover her tear-stained eyes. As her shoulders shook, shame and anger wracking her body with sobs, a strong arm gently placed itself around her shoulders.

She felt Daryl move wordlessly closer and turned into him, burying her head in his shoulder. She gripped tightly onto the front of his shirt as she soaked it with her tears. He sat in stoic silence, holding her until her weeping subsided.

‘People like to think this mess turned humans into monsters,’ he said finally. ‘But some of us have always been monsters.’

Lilith sniffed unattractively, and quickly wiped her nose and eyes on the bottom of her shirt. She looked up at Daryl, his irises an icy-blue brilliance in their anger, and they contrasted against his dark features.

‘You’re not a monster, though. You’re one of the good guys. I feel safe around you, and you’re the only thing that keeps the nightmares at bay.’

His eyes scanned her face, but he didn’t speak. Not for the first time, she was frustrated that he was so unreadable. His face this close, she did it almost without thinking; she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

It wasn’t rushed; it was a slow kind of kiss that matched the tender moment. His lips seemed to soften beneath hers, and she parted her mouth to push her tongue forward, her hand raising to brush against his neck, and she felt his pulse fast under the smooth skin.

Like a frightened animal he drew away from her. It was too soon.

‘What the hell are you doin’ woman?’ he yelled at her, his voice full of rage and loathing, but his eyes sent a different message, they screamed of fear and hurt.

Lilith was so surprised by the reaction her stomach clenched, and she felt nauseous. She sat open mouthed, too stunned to speak. Eventually, her brain caught up through the liquor-induced fog, and she reached out pleading fingers towards him.

He pulled back further then stood up and stepped away.

‘I’m not your hero, lady,’ he growled.

‘Yes, you are,’ Lilith murmured, trying desperately to keep the hurt from her own voice. He scowled at her, and took a deep breath. She braced herself expecting a tirade, but instead he stepped into the small guard tower office, and slammed the door shut.

Warm breath left her lips as she lifted her tear-soaked eyes to the moon that now shone upon them, hating it for looking so peaceful. She sighed in defeat and humiliation, grabbed the mugs and left quietly.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl realises he acted badly, and desperately seeks Lilith's forgiveness

_I’m a no-good fuckin’ idiot_ , he admonished himself as he stomped all over the prison the next morning looking for Lilith. He had heard her leave last night, after he slammed the door. As she did so, an inner voice was screaming at him to call after her, to beg her forgiveness, and gather her in his arms. He had ignored it, not wanting her tears to dilute his anger, an action he now deeply regretted.

He finally found her in the kitchen talking to Rick.

‘It’s a great idea, Lilith, one I’ve been contemplating myself. I’ll speak to some of the others, and see if we can’t get a crew together.’

Daryl saw Lilith’s dark eyes dart towards him as he moved closer. ‘Anything I can do to help, let me know,’ she continued talking to their de facto leader.

‘Thanks, Lilith,’ Rick smiled, then turned to Daryl. ‘Were you looking for me Daryl?’

‘Er… no. I was looking for Lilith,’ he muttered. Lilith however, had already started walking away, and he had to run a few steps to catch her. He grabbed her arm. She stopped, and turned to him sharply with such pain in her eyes, he almost winced. She looked down at his hand and he quickly let go of her arm. Without saying a word, she started walking again.

‘Lilith, we have to talk,’ he called after her.

She stopped and turned towards him. Her eyes narrowed, and he gulped nervously. After a quick glance around her, she stepped in close towards him. She looked pissed, and it bothered him. He expected her to shout, to rail and scream at him. Instead, she spoke with an icy calmness.

‘Daryl, I would appreciate it if you could see your way to keeping the story of my recent past to yourself. As for talking… I think everything that needed saying has been said, don’t you?’ Not giving him a chance to respond, she continued her march outside.

He gritted his teeth in frustration. _She is gonna make me chase after her, isn’t she?_ He followed her outside, and in a few quick strides of his longer legs, he managed to step in front of her.

‘I know this is a small community,’ she continued her calm diatribe before he had a chance to speak. ‘With less than fifty of us it will be difficult, but I think it’s best if we just stay out of each other’s way.’

It distressed him that she was so pissed at him, but he was more annoyed at himself, knowing she had every right to be. She had always been so warm towards him, her cold fury and indifference now was surprising and hurtful.

Then he realised, this was how he had been treating her. How he treated everyone. She took his dirty looks and his brush-offs and ignored them, and still kept coming back. She could see his shallow defence mechanism for what it was. He felt the last of his wall crumble, along with his heart. He’d blown it.

  
His distress was evident. A hundred emotions flitted across his tanned and weathered face once more. Lilith couldn’t keep it up any longer, and she took pity on him. Despite the heat of her rage, her glare softened.

‘Look, it’s as simple as this, Daryl. You either like me or you don’t. It’s taken me thirty-odd years to learn how to like myself. I don’t have that kinda time to convince someone else.’

‘But why me?’ he stammered.

‘Because you’re amazing,’ she smiled. ‘You don’t realise it, but you are. You’re a survivor, you can take care of yourself. You certainly don’t need this group,’ she answered, waving an arm around the prison. ‘In situations like this, most people would think of themselves first. We are a risk to you, a burden, yet you stay, you take care of everyone. I would expect you would be much happier off on your own, eating squirrels,’ she chuckled.

Lilith watched as he stared silently in that intense way he had.

‘You’re wrong,’ he answered finally. ‘I do need this group.’

She placed her hand in his, and surprisingly he didn’t pull away. Lilith smiled, and shaking her head, she laughed softly.

‘It is just my luck that it took the end of humanity—a fucking apocalypse no less—for me to find the man of my dreams.’

 

They spent the afternoon hunting, and managed to bag several rabbits, and even a wild pig.

‘I need to tell Rick where we found this pig.’ She announced as Daryl bent down to pull out the bolt he shot it with.

‘Why?’ he asked as he squinted up at her.

‘I was talking to him earlier and said that the constant raids on the town and surrounding area is impractical long term. It’s dangerous for our people. We should look at being more self-sustaining.’

‘You wanna keep pigs?’ he laughed as he stood.

‘Yes. Why not? They’re easy to look after, breed like… well rabbits,’ she laughed as she lifted up the brace in her left hand. ‘That, and we grow a few crops. Some fresh fruit and vegetables are essential. If we don’t, people are going to start getting ill.’

Daryl glanced at the pig, and handed her his bow. ‘I guess I’m carrying this back then?’ he moaned, as he hoisted the large animal onto his back. It was an adolescent, but still must have weighed about 80lb.

Lilith smiled at him, admiring the way his muscular arms flexed as he adjusted the beast.

‘What?’ he asked warily.

‘Nothin’,’ she grinned.  ‘I’m just checking out the arm porn.’ She continued to giggle to herself as Daryl shook his head and started heading back to the vehicle, but she saw that he was smiling as he moved ahead.

 

‘Next time anyone is in town, we need to find some saltpetre and lots and lots of salt.’ Lilith announced as they drank their usual late night coffee.

‘What for?’ Daryl replied looking confused.

‘Bacon!’ she gushed.

He chuckled at the drooling face she pulled, a sound that was so rare from him, it didn’t fail to tighten the depths of her stomach. She had been devastated at his rejection of her yesterday following her confession. He had appeared contrite this morning, and she felt it was a good sign he had sought her out.

His skin looked incredibly dark in the fading light, but his eyes were bright and sparkled, and he appeared to be relieved at her clemency. She had more or less declared her feelings for him earlier that day, but she still had no real idea how he felt about her. She prayed the fact he seemed happy in her company was a positive indication.

She reached over, and cautiously took his hand in hers. His smile briefly faltered, before returning along with a slight blush to his cheeks.

‘Today was a good day,’ she declared keeping her hand firmly in his. She gave it a gentle squeeze, and was pleased when he returned the pressure.

‘It was,’ he agreed.

Lilith realised that Daryl would never make any moves, it all had to come from her. She just had to make sure that this time she went at a pace he was comfortable with.

She stood up, her coffee finished, but she kept hold of his hand and pulled on it until he stood too. Silently, she led him into the small office, and closed the door. She pressed herself against him, and smiled as he audibly gulped.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl's inexperience with love causes another rift between him and Lilith

Still gripping his hand, Lilith gently stroked the side of Daryl’s face with her free hand, then cupped his chin. Raising on her toes, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. She could feel his heart beating as fast as hers. She pulled back, her eyes searching his for some evidence that he wanted to stop. There was a hunger there she had not expected to see.

She released his hand and placed both of her arms around his shoulders, pulling him towards her for another kiss, this one deeper, more fervent. She felt him hesitantly slide his arms around her waist, and he moaned with pleasure as she pressed herself closer.

His stubble scratched her chin deliciously, and his hands felt hot through the material of her t-shirt. Gently, she probed at the edge of his lips with her tongue until they opened. As her inquisitive tongue danced with his, she felt the pit of her stomach tighten. _Oh God, I am so turned on by him_. She felt her knees weaken, and nearly came when his tongue pushed its way hesitantly into her mouth. She barely suppressed a whimper, and kissed him with a vigour only matched by her desire for him.

His hands tightened on her waist, but remained frozen, as if afraid to move. Lilith pulled against one of his arms to move it up, and turning slightly so that his large palm was pressed against her breast.

‘Oh God, yes,’ she murmured into his mouth as he finally started to reciprocate, his hands caressing the fleshy mound, his thumb grazing her erect nipples as they pushed against the fabric.

Lilith slid her hands down his back and under the sleeveless shirt he wore. Her fingers glided over the smooth muscles that rippled under her touch. She traced her fingertips along his ribs, and across his hard chest. She allowed her nails to graze his nipples and heard a satisfying groan from her lover.

Encouraged by the sounds of his arousal, she moved one hand down his stomach and over the front of his pants. She could feel the iron hardness of his erection, and firmly traced her fingers along its length. The grip around her waist tightened and he groaned into her mouth, something animalistic. The sound alone caused a flood of moisture to her pussy.

She frantically unfastened the top button and fly and placed her hand inside. _Thank the gods_ , she praised when she discovered there were no shorts underneath, and her fingers enveloped the engorged penis. His dick was hot and hard, and she whimpered loudly as her hand ran up and down its length. Her hand went lower, her nails grazing the skin of his balls as they raked through his pubic hair.

She moved her hand back up its length, and once at the peak she ran her thumb over the tip, smearing the pearl of pre-cum that sat there. The musky scent of sex pervaded the air. She was surprised and pleased to find that he was uncircumcised. Gripping the shaft firmly, she pulled back against the foreskin, and exposed more of the head. Shifting her grip, she gently brushed the smooth dome of his glans with the pads of her fingers.

Daryl moaned suddenly, almost as if he was in pain. He broke their kiss, and leaned forward slightly, panting. Lilith still had her hand around his dick, and felt it jerk as the unmistakable sensation of hot cum washed over her hand.

Lilith laid her head on his shoulder and smiled a little to herself as she continued to massage his fleeing erection. Seconds later, she felt Daryl straighten and she lifted her face to his, her eyes full of love. What she saw wiped the contented smile from her face.

She saw anger and shame.

He cruelly knocked her hand away and stuffed himself back in his pants, then went and laid on the mattress, his back towards her.

Lilith rubbed her wrist. ‘Daryl, please. Don’t be like this. There’s no need to be embarrassed.’   
  
He didn’t respond. He didn’t know what to say. He stared blankly at the wall ahead of him, wishing she would just leave him alone.

‘I never thought I would want anyone again,’ she continued regardless of his silence. ‘I certainly never thought someone would want me, not after they knew. I’m damaged goods. The fact you were able to… the fact you came… Don’t you see? It’s a compliment really.’

His emotions were in turmoil. _How can she think she is damaged goods?_ _I’m the one who’s fucked up._

He was embarrassed at the evident display of his inexperience. He hadn’t much experience with women, just a few hookers. His brother had thrown a few skanky whores his way, so he knew what went where. But he never cared a dime about any of them so his performance was never a consideration. He never developed the skill or confidence to deal with women as sexual beings. As long as he got his nut off, that was all that mattered. He could almost hear Merle laughing at him from the grave. He may be a dumb redneck, but he was smart enough to realise that Lilith didn’t just want sex, she wanted something else, something he wasn’t sure he knew how to give.

‘You’ve healed something in me, Daryl. Let me do the same for you.’

He heard her kneel behind him, and then he felt the warm presence of her hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, spilling tears down his cheeks.

‘I won’t let you push me away!’ she sobbed.

‘I’ve heard that before,’ he responded snarkily. ‘Eventually, everyone leaves.’

‘That’s because you work so hard at pushing them away,’ she yells. ‘What are you scared of?’

He turned towards her, his face contorted with anger.

‘I’ve spent my whole goddamn life alone, with no one that gave a crap about me ‘cept Merle, and I know he wasn’t good for me. Now, I have this group,’ he cried, pointing briefly towards the cell blocks. ‘They are all I have now, they are my family. Until recently, unlike everyone else, I hadn’t lost anyone ‘cos I had no one my entire life.’

He grimaced, and sighed. Shaking his head, he looked directly at her. ‘There was a time when they would have wiped me off their heels like shit, but they’re what I have now. They’re my family… and I’m scared of failing them, of losing them or hurting them.’ He paused briefly, wiping a tear from his cheek. ‘I’ve never felt wanted before, never felt needed or valued. People depend on me here, they actually look up to me. I can’t handle any more than that.’

He couldn’t look in her eyes. He knew he would be lost if he did. Instead, he focused on her hands as they nervously twisted in her lap. When he didn’t reply, she shook her head, and stood up. She stopped and turned as she rested a hand on the door handle.

‘Am I not part of that family, Daryl? Are you not concerned about hurting me? I don’t need you, Daryl. I want you. I want to share what remaining days I might have with you,’ she said softly.

‘I don’t need some bitch to fuss around me. I’m fine here by myself.’

‘You’re such a jackass,’ she wept, as she opened the door.

‘Whatever, lady,’ he yelled at her over the sound of the slamming door.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl examines his feelings, then tracks down Lilith in the hope that she will speak to him

Daryl didn’t see Lilith at all the next day, although he hadn’t actively gone looking for her. He knew it was a slim chance, but part of him hoped she would show up in the evening with coffee as usual.

He stopped by the cell blocks to visit baby Judith. It seemed quiet, and when he asked where everyone one was, Carol mentioned that Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Tyreese and Lilith had gone to clear out more of the walkers occupying the prison.

To keep himself busy, he volunteered to help out a small crew that was fortifying one of the perimeter fences, but he couldn’t get Lilith out of his mind. He winced in physical pain when he thought about the hurt he must have caused her.

Working hard in the hot Georgian sun, he had plenty of time to reflect on his feelings. He couldn’t deny it any longer, he was much happier when she was around. _Does this mean I love her?_ _How do you know when you love someone?_

He wasn’t sure. He knew he didn’t have the skills to answer questions like this. He should talk to someone much wiser.

When the work crew knocked off for the day, Daryl went into the cell block. He found Hershel in his cell reading a medical textbook. He hovered at the door wondering how on earth to start this conversation.

Eventually, Hershel put his book down.

‘Daryl,’ he said a little wearily. ‘Are you wanting to talk to me, because if not, can you move out of my light. These old eyes are struggling to read the print as it is.’

Daryl moved into the cell and leaned against the far wall, opposite the older man.

‘Can I ask how you feel about Maggie an’ Glenn? I mean, is it worth having a relationship with the world the way it is?’

Hershel looked a little surprised.

‘Well, yes, I do. Glenn is a good boy and I know he loves Maggie. There is never the wrong time for love. It’s in hard times such as these that we need those connections more.’

‘But someone could be just pretendin’ that they care, when they’re really just looking for protection.’

‘You just have to figure out who is worth your kindness and who is just taking advantage.’

Daryl chewed briefly on a non-existent nail. ‘How do you do that?’

Hershel stood up with the aid of his cane. ‘Son, a wise man once said if you can find someone that can see the sorrow behind your smile, the love behind your anger, and the reason behind your silence, then they are worth your trust.’ He placed a hand on Daryl’s shoulder, and stared at him meaningfully. ‘And your love,’ he finished.

  
That night, Daryl lay alone in the small office of the guard tower. He still hadn’t seen Lilith since he had once again rejected her. He was worried, but tried to tell himself that someone would have said something if anyone had been injured. Or worse.

He stared at the ceiling, mulling over Hershel’s words. He thought about the last angry exchange he had with Lilith. It saddened him to know she thought of herself as worthless; as damaged goods. None of what happened was her fault. When he thought about what those monsters had done to her, he wished she hadn’t killed them so he could go kill them again.

‘Fuck!’ he exclaimed to the empty room.

That’s what she was doing. He thought about the walkers at the fence he had seen her single out, only to stab in the head. They must have looked like her captors. His heart broke for her. She was still living with her nightmare, had told him that he was her only respite and he turned her away. He had to make this right.

Daryl saw life as a series of problems that needed fixing. He would look at a situation and know what needed doing, then get it done. However, this problem was so alien to him, he didn’t know where to begin.

That night, he dreamt of Lilith. He dreamt of how her warm flesh had felt under his hand, how it felt when her soft hands touched his chest, his stomach. Her touch had been gentle and loving. When she had touched his dick, it had felt like his whole world lit up like the Fourth of July. He recalled her nails gently grazing his balls, her hand moving up the shaft, and her fingers smooth across the crown.

He woke with a cry just as he came in his pants.

 

Daryl stepped out of the office as soon as the sunlight woke him from his fitful sleep. He had cleaned himself up last night, and laid back down, resolved to find Lilith and make things right. How he was going to do that, he hadn’t figured out yet.

He looked around the perimeter as was his habit, and his heart raced when he saw Lilith firing at the target with her bow, the familiar thud of the arrows hitting the target hitting his ears a split second later. He smiled to himself, excited and nervous and made his way out onto the enclosure.

She didn’t need the practice. They had been hunting together several times now, and he knew she was as good as him, and certainly better than anyone else he had seen with a bow.

As he got closer, he cleared his throat as he walked to her side. Another arrow landed dead centre of the target, and she cast big wounded eyes briefly in his direction as she reached into a quiver for the next shaft.

‘Your aim is pretty damn good, girl,’ he complimented, trying to ignore the way his heart clenched every time she cast a baleful glance his way.

She didn’t respond. She nocked an arrow, and raised the bow getting ready to aim.

‘Do you fancy making this shot a bit more interesting?’ he asked, fiddling with the seam on his leather vest and trying to keep how nervous he was out of his voice.

He wanted to shout with joy when he saw her eyes soften, and a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. She lowered her arm, and looked at him.

‘What kinda interesting?’

‘If you make that next shot a bulls-eye, you get a kiss. I’ll even let you haggle over the length.’

Lilith chewed her lip, trying not to smile. ‘OK, let’s haggle.’

‘10 seconds,’ he offered.

‘20.’

‘Make it 15,’ he countered, and held out his hand to shake.

She shook on the deal, and the hint of a smile broadened. The shake over, he didn’t let go of her hand, but pulled her closer to him.

‘I would have gone as high as 30 if you’d pushed it,’ he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Lilith raised an eyebrow in surprise, and laughed gently as he released her fingers. It was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard. She raised her bow, sighted and released. Bulls-eye. He had had no doubt she would make the shot.

‘Looks like I owe you a kiss then,’ he said stepping towards her.

She made no move towards him, but stood glaring at him challengingly, forcing him to take an extra symbolic step. He moved forward and snaked an arm around her waist quickly pulling her towards him so fast she almost fell. Once in his embrace, he rested his other hand gently against her cheek, imitating the action she had done to him, then he kissed her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl apologises and admits to Lilith how he feels about her

Initially the kiss was tentative, his lips barely touching hers. Teasingly, he brushed her mouth with the tip of his tongue before pressing himself against her. Her lips were as soft and pliant as he remembered in his fevered dreams. Without waiting for an invitation, he gently probed her soft lips with his tongue. He was elated when she accepted the offering, and pulled her to him in a tighter embrace.

‘Time’s up,’ he said gently, barely above a whisper. When he looked down at her beautiful face, her pupils were dilated, her cheeks flushed and rosy. He tilted his head back down, and stole another kiss, this one needier, more animalistic than the last. He ran his rough hand through her soft hair, the citrus smell of her shampoo suddenly filling his nostrils.

Almost reluctantly he broke the kiss; he was starting to feel light headed as the blood drained from his brain.

‘I thought my time was up,’ she asked dreamily.

‘It was,’ he replied, his voice low and hoarse.

‘Then what was that?’

‘That… that was “sorry”. That was “I am more sorry than I can ever say”.’

Lilith’s brown eyes stared at him unblinking. He held his breath under her scrutiny, awaiting the verdict.

Eventually, she blinked, spilling a single tear down her cheek and she drew a ragged breath, her lips quivering. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Everything else was forgotten in that moment, the world around them, the walkers at the fence, the harsh words exchanged. Incredibly, she had forgiven him. Knowing her, it was likely she had forgiven him hours ago. He swore to himself in that moment that he would never hurt her like this again.

He felt her pull back and realised then just how tightly he had been holding her.

‘Despite all your flaws, or even because of them, you’re the man I love, Daryl.’ She uttered the words almost like a prayer, softly and with reverence. ‘If you feel the same way, then tell me now. I need to know.’ She placed her hand over his heart.

Daryl gently placed his hand over hers. ‘I do.’

 

Lilith spent the rest of the day keeping busy, but unable to wipe the smile off her face. She would have happily stood in the enclosure kissing Daryl all day but there was always work to be done around the prison.

Lilith had volunteered to help dig some vegetable beds. By the time she hit the shower, her muscles were aching and sore but she was full of nervous energy. Every time she had thought about Daryl during the day, her loins had tightened and slickness flooded her knickers. She had begun to get paranoid that the others she was working with would smell her arousal as it pooled between her legs, so she dashed to the showers as quickly as she could.

After she dressed, she returned to her cell. She brushed her hair while sat on the top bunk where she was able to see the faint light as it came on in Daryl’s tower through the high windows.

She jumped down, and quickly made her way outside. There was no coffee in her hands this time. Her needs were for more than coffee.

As she climbed the steps, she saw him stood against the rail, his outline a black silhouette against the orange and red of the rapidly setting sun. She paused for a moment, breathless with admiration of his form. His elbows were locked straight as he leaned on the top rail. The definition of his sculpted arms were outlined by the warm orange light. One knee was slightly bent, dropping his hip, making him look casual and relaxed. Even though she couldn’t see them, she knew his eyes would be narrowed as they scanned the perimeter. She could see his bow next to him, leaning against the rail within easy reach. He was the picture-perfect example of a warrior; strong, vigilant and caring.

With almost silent steps, she walked up behind him and before he turned, she slipped her arms around his waist. She felt more than saw his head move a little to confirm her identity, then she felt him sigh and relax. She stood still, enjoying the close contact, her head rested against on his back in the middle of his shoulders.

The heat of his body could be felt through the rough cotton of his denim shirt. She moved her hands down to snake under the edge of his shirt, and glide up the smooth plane of his stomach and chest. She could already feel herself getting turned on.

She closed her eyes, and with light feathery strokes she fluttered her hands up and down his skin. Neither of them had spoken yet, but she could hear his breathing becoming faster, more shallow. She dragged her nails over his small tight nipples, and was rewarded by a sharp intake of breath. Keeping up the momentum, she moved her hands down the centre ridge of his chest, and over his abs.

She hesitated briefly when she got to the waistband of his pants. She moved one hand down, and gently rubbed his dick through the material. He was as hard as a rock, as she had hoped. He still didn’t speak, but he didn’t object either. With swift deft fingers, she unfastened the button fly, and gently pulled out his hardened rod.

She moved her left hand back up under his shirt to his nipples, but her right hand formed a firm grip at the base of the shaft. She gently moved her hand along its length, pleased at the substantial girth. She marvelled at the silk-covered steel as she felt the skin move beneath her hand. Once at the tip she released her grip, and rubbed her forefinger and middle finger over the slick head.

Daryl groaned in pleasure, to the point where it was almost a growl. A new wave of moisture flooded Lilith’s loins and she pressed herself closer to him, tilting her hips slightly as she ground her mons against him.

Her fingers again encircled his erection, and slowly and evenly she brought her hand almost to the base. Gradually, her tempo increased. Every time she brought her hand to the base, she pushed forward slightly with her hips. Her engorged labia rubbed deliciously against the seam of her jeans. The stimulus of her movement combined with the sensation of his fat cock sliding in and out of her hand was causing her to pant loudly. She could visualise her hand gliding along his prick.

Almost imperceptibly, she felt Daryl begin to thrust his hips, so she increased the speed of her hand. The muscles in her arm were starting to burn but she knew things were close to a climax.

A further thickening of his dick was the only notice she got before a pulse of cum shot high from the end of his dick. Another muted grunt from Daryl split the silence of the air, and Lilith contracted tightly against his back, waves of her own orgasm flowing through her limbs as she groaned.

As the spurts lessened, Lilith held her hand motionless over the end of his prick. Finally, her body started to relax and she opened her eyes. She saw Daryl’s grip had loosened from the rail and he straightened up as he turned, forcing Lilith to relinquish her toy.

She glanced down at his crotch, expecting to see his cock wilting before her eyes, but it still looked rigid and eager. With a dry mouth she looked up into Daryl’s eyes, almost hesitantly. There was no anger or fear there this time. Instead, there was an almost feral lust and need.

She glanced at her right hand, a trail of his cum splashed across the back. She lifted her hand, and pinning him with her gaze, she swiped her tongue over her skin removing the deposit in one smooth lick. That was enough to spur Daryl into action.

He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the floor so suddenly, she yelped. He carried her into the small office and practically threw her onto the thin mattress, then slammed the door shut behind them.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Lilith finally spend a night of passion

Lilith looked up at the man she loved. She wanted him so badly. She stared longingly at his proud member, upright and saluting her, a glistening bead of cum on its tip. Never taking her eyes off him she lifted her tank over her head and lay back on the mattress, her breasts now bare. Daryl stood over her, and she shivered in anticipation as his eyes burned trails over her skin.

Wordlessly, he removed his shirt and knelt between her legs. Leaning forward, he lay on top of her, crushing his mouth hard against hers. The skin against skin contact was electric. The few hairs on his chest tickled her already sensitive nipples. His body gently crushed her, as he supported his weight on his elbows. As they kissed, she gently stroked up his beautifully defined arms and down the V of his back to his narrow waist.

She could feel his hardness pressing against her, and she raised one knee so that he could get closer. As he kissed her, he shifted his weight to one arm and his knees so that he could caress her bosom. As the rough skin of his calloused hands grazed her sensitive peaks, she whimpered. She needed oxygen and pulled out of the kiss. She could barely stand the pleasure, and felt light-headed and giddy.

His lips freed, Daryl pounced on her breast, and suckled a nipple with the same urgency he had done moments ago with her mouth. She closed her eyes, savouring the sweet sensation as his tongue and teeth toyed with the stiffened bud.

He almost growled when she pushed him off, but he seemed to realise that it was so she could get to the fastening of her jeans. Once he noticed what she was doing, he quickly finished removing his own clothes, kicking of his shoes into a corner with a thud.  


He looked down at the vision before him. The soft light that shone from the small lamp gave her smooth alabaster skin an almost ethereal quality. Her arms were darker, being exposed to more of the sun, and faded from bronze to cream at the shoulders. She opened her arms, inviting him into her embrace. But he knew it was more than that, she was inviting him into her heart, her very soul.

He dropped to his knees between her legs. He grabbed her hips and pulled her roughly towards him. Her arms reached up, clawing at his bronzed neck and shoulders trying to pull him down into a kiss, but he resisted. He fumbled at the base of his erection, positioning the tip at her entrance. The heat and moisture he felt against his crown caused him to groan. He moved the tip up and down the outer lips, gently parting them. Lilith arched her back and sighed with pleasure. Spurred on, he released his shaft and placing his hand back on the side of her hip, he pushed the mushroom head into her cunt.

He grunted and fell forward, and in one smooth motion, forced his entire length into her moist depths. He buried his face into her neck and breathed her in. She smelled like heaven, a warm mixture of her sweat and musk.

‘God, yes!’ she cried loudly in his ear, as she raised her legs to wrap around his hips.

His whole body quivered as the millions of nerve endings at the tip of his glans rubbed the soft velvety walls of her cunt. Now he kissed her. Now he crushed her lips. She was his, and a strong feeling of possessiveness took over him. With a brutal ferocity, an animalistic drive, he rammed his hips into her spread legs accompanied by the fleshy slap of their thighs. There was no romance here, they were animals rutting in the darkness. It was a fast and furious fuck, born of desperation and need, and it died in relief and satisfaction.

Exquisite pleasure washed through him as the tension eased from his body. It swept over him, through him, making his head spin so much he almost wept from the force of it. Even through the fog of his own euphoria, he heard Lilith cry and shudder beneath him, the grip of her molten core tightening so much he feared he would never be free again.

The spicy scent of their sex filled the small room. Daryl slumped over Lilith, his breath hot against her neck. Almost reluctantly, he lifted himself off her and flopped to the side, leaving one arm draped across her belly. He finally looked in her eyes, dreading to see the disappointment he expected. He smiled a little in surprise when he saw softness and affection. She smiled at him, his pulse which had almost returned to normal quickened once more.

He held her gaze for a long time, every second expecting it to become uncomfortable and look away, but he found he couldn’t. He was terrified of missing a second’s worth of opportunity to look at her like this. She had placed her right arm under her head to support it as she stared at him. It caused her right breast to rise up, beckoning him to taste it. His eyes travelled down her body, over her flat stomach, the slight mound of her pubis. Her legs were still slightly splayed and he could see his seed spilling out of her, marking her as his possession.

He wanted to speak, to tell her how happy he was, how full his heart was, how petrified he was of losing her now, but he said none of those things. Instead, he stared at a dark tendril of her hair that had escaped the bonds of her ponytail, and curled against her cheek.

Daryl felt drunk, his head spun as he struggled to cope with the flood of emotion he felt. He had spent the majority of his life holding his emotions back, keeping his inner feelings hidden. _How had this woman gotten so close?_ Part of him felt free, finally unburdened, yet his inner demons screamed their claustrophobia, and demanded he ran.

  
Eventually, Lilith propped herself up on an elbow, and kissed him softly. She brushed his cheek with her lips and murmured tenderly, ‘Thank you,’ so close to his ear that it caused him to shiver.

He laughed sheepishly. ‘I’m sorry that was so… ‘

‘Furious?’ she offered when he paused.

He snorted. ‘I was going to say brief, but yeah… furious.’

Lilith’s eyes drifted down his chest, and her fingers toyed with the small amount of chest hair.

‘Brevity and fury were exactly what I needed. It was wonderful, and perfect.’ She could still feel the warmth in her cunny and her need to be close to him again was overwhelming. She pressed herself against him, her lips barely touching his. ‘We can take our time next time,’ she said, her voice deep and husky.

Her comment seemed to surprise him as briefly one of his eyebrows had risen. He didn’t reply, but instead he reached up one hand and he pushed some runaway hair behind her ear, before closing the gap and tasting her honey-sweet lips again. As she melted into the kiss, she marvelled how that action had been uncharacteristically affectionate.

She pulled away from their kiss with a slight giggle.

‘What?’ he asked, looking puzzled.

‘Nothing, nothing! I’m just being silly,’ she smiled. She could see that he was started to look wary, so rather than lose the progress she was making with him, she felt it was better to just admit her foolishness.

‘Don’t laugh, but I have a song running through my head every time I kiss you.’

He looked visibly relieved. ‘What is it?’ he asked. ‘Is it ‘Wild Thing’?’

His joke caught her unawares and she laughed loudly. ‘No, you dork. It’s a song called I Want Candy.’

He looked back blankly, no recognition on his face.

‘By Bow Wow Wow?’ she pressed.

He shook his head, and she groaned in frustration, then sang the first verse to him.

‘I know a guy who’s tough but sweet, he’s so fine he can’t be beat, he’s got everything I desire, sets the summer sun on fire.’

She moved to straddle his hips, feeling his flaccid member stir as she brushed it with her pussy lips.

‘I want candy,’ she continued singing, kissing his confused face. His lips were so soft and sensual and she opened her mouth gently to caress his tongue with her own. ‘I want candy,’ she continued the refrain as she kissed his chest. ‘I want candy.’ Her lips grazed across his abs, causing him to flinch a little. ‘I want candy.’

The song finished, she knelt before the altar of his manhood, and proceeded to worship his cock like an idol.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith and Daryl go hunting for 'gators

‘Wake up, sleepy-head.’

Lilith woke with a start, for a brief moment disoriented. Harsh light streamed through the dirty windows cruelly seeking her retinas. She vaguely registered a face looming to her left before her eyes wilfully closed. Daryl.

She screwed her eyes tight, blinked hard, then opened them wide convinced he wouldn’t be there, that he was nothing more than a ghost of her dream.

He chuckled at her. ‘Not a morning person I see.’ He gave her a quick kiss, and she remained frozen as the haze of sleep left her and the delicious memories of the night before returned. She stretched languidly, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He allowed her to kiss him briefly before prizing her arms away and knelt up.

She pouted, and he laughed again. God, he looked beautiful. _I bet I look a mess_ , she thought in a sudden panic, raking her nails through her dark locks and trying to smooth her wild hair.

‘C’mon. We’ve got work to do,’ he tilted his head towards the door.

She sat up. ‘What work?’

‘Mouths to feed, remember? We need to go huntin’.’

Lilith sighed. She enjoyed keeping busy, and actually relished the opportunity hunting gave her to be free of the prison. The food that she provided for the group made her feel good knowing that she was contributing to this small community. But today, this morning, she wished she could be selfish and take time just for her.

At least she would be spending the day with Daryl.

‘I need to go back to my room first. I need to grab a bra. I can’t run around all day in the woods with these puppies bouncing around,’ she explained, as she teasingly grabbed her breasts. She was pleased to note that Daryl’s jaw dropped at the sight, but cool as ever, he quickly pretended to ignore her and started to get dressed.

‘See if there’s any food we can take with us. There’s some good fishin’ near the coast south east of here. We could camp out an’ wait until dusk as it’s a good spot for ‘gators too.’

Her eyes widened. ‘Alligators! We’re gonna hunt alligators?’

‘Yup. You ever eaten ‘gator? It’s tasty.’

‘No, I haven’t. I’ve never even seen one outside a zoo,’ she confessed bewildered, as she finished fastening her jeans.

‘You go get whatever it is you need,’ and he waved a pointed finger in the general vicinity of her chest. ‘I’ll go get the equipment we need, and meet you out back.’

Lilith headed down the stairs after him, and unapologetically watched his ass as he veered off towards one of the outbuildings they stored the equipment they had salvaged. In her cell, Lilith quickly found a bra, and changed into a fresh vest, then decided to change into clean underwear and black cargo pants. Just as she was fastening her knife to her belt, Amy arrived.

‘Ahhh,’ she exclaimed. ‘There you are!’ She grabbed some text books off her bunk. ‘I was beginning to worry where you were. I was this close to telling Rick you were missing.’

‘I’m sorry, Amy. I didn’t think,’ she placed a hand briefly on her room-mates shoulder. ‘I should have told you not to worry but… well, to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would be back or not myself, but things went… pretty well.’ Lilith couldn’t help grinning like a fool, as she watched the realisation dawn on Amy’s face.

‘Nooooo!’ the younger woman exclaimed excitedly, then quickly covered her mouth as Lilith shushed her. ‘Did you spend the night with Daryl?’ she asked quieter.

Lilith nodded, and the two women giggled conspiratorially. Lilith felt like a teenager confessing details of her first kiss. ‘Please don’t say anything to anyone, Amy. I don’t want this to be a topic for discussion. I get the impression Daryl wouldn’t like that.’

‘I doubt he would,’ Amy nodded. ‘I know how private he is.’ She looked carefully into her Lilith’s eyes, then said, ‘Wait a sec.’

Amy pulled a small case from under the bunk and rummaged through it. She handed Lilith several small yellow boxes with Ortho Cyclen written on them. Lilith blushed.

‘I have prophylactics if you prefer?’ offered the young trainee doctor.

‘No, no. This is fine,’ she answered hastily. ‘Thank you.’

Amy nodded. ‘Not sure we’re ready to cope with pregnancies. It could be a death sentence at the moment.’

Lilith thought about the stories she had heard surrounding Rick’s late wife, and realised she had been foolish. She hugged her friend. ‘Thank you,’ she said sincerely.

Amy handed her another couple of tablets. ‘You might want to take these first. Morning after pills. Just in case.’

Lilith quickly took one of the pills, and pocketed the other for later. ‘I’m going hunting, and we’ll be away overnight, so don’t worry about me,’ she told Amy. ‘I’ll let Rick know.’ She grabbed her bow, a small rucksack, and headed out.

‘Be careful!’ Amy called after her.

  
In the kitchen, Lilith found Beth feeding Judith. She pointed her towards some sourdough bread that had been baked the day before, which she dropped into her bag. She filled a canteen with clean water, and lastly grabbed a half jar of peanut butter.

‘Do you know where Rick is?’ she asked the young woman.

‘I think he is in his cell,’ she answered with a smile. ‘I think Judith kept him and half the block up last night.’

Lilith made her way into the cell block and to the end cell where Rick was laid on the bottom bunk.

‘Knock knock,’ she said, feeling bad at disturbing him.

‘Hey, Lilith,’ answered the deputy. He looked tired, and she felt doubly remorseful to interrupt him. ‘What can I help you with?’

Her heart warmed to this man who had so many burdens but still the first words out of his mouth was ‘how can I help’.

‘Nothing, I’m fine, thank you. I just wanted to say that Daryl and I are off hunting, and that we will be away overnight. Just thought I should inform someone.’

‘Yes, that’s good. And thank you for everything you do, it’s appreciated.’

‘Oh, that’s ok,’ she laughed.

‘I mean it. You’re a real asset. I’m pleased that you’ve fitted in so well, and everyone seems to like you. Especially Daryl.’

‘No thanks needed, honestly,’ she replied, blushing. ‘Er… I best go.’ Lilith scurried away before any more questions surround her relationship with Daryl came up. _Relationship? Is that what we have?_ She pondered. She honestly wasn’t sure. As usual, Daryl kept her guessing.

She left the building and saw Glenn talking to Daryl.

‘Just make sure the trip is worthwhile. We’re running low on fuel.’

‘Don’t worry I will, little man,’ Daryl answered flatly. Glenn didn’t seem bothered by Daryl’s tone. He was used to it. They had spent long enough in each other’s company and saved each other’s lives enough times that they were comfortable with their individual traits.

Lilith was sure she saw Daryl’s mouth twitch in the hint of a smile when he spotted her, and it made her stomach flutter.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

‘Yep,’ she smiled as she climbed into the passenger side. She looked over her shoulder at what he had put in the back as she added her bow to the pile. Daryl’s crossbow and a couple of semi-automatic pistols lay next to a box of rounds. Along with the weapons, she could see some fishing rods and tackle, nets, a short shovel, some plastic sheeting, tarpaulin and a couple of blankets, plus a few other things she couldn’t distinguish under the pile.

‘No tent?’ she asked him as he climbed in.

‘We won’t need one, but if we do we’ve got the tarp,’ he grumbled, not hiding that he obviously felt it had been a stupid question.

Lilith just shrugged and rolled her eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl shows her his survival skills by teaching Lilith how to catch and smoke fish

They spent the rest of the journey in silence. Lilith was lost in her own thoughts, as she stared out of the window, enjoying the site of unfamiliar territory. The view was marred by the occasional rotting corpse or blood-stained abandoned car pushed to the roadside. These sights didn’t affect her as much as she thought they should. _When did we get used to this stuff? When did it become the norm?_ Eventually, the silence and the gentle rocking of the vehicle sent Lilith to light sleep.

About four hours later, Daryl pulled off the road, and woke her by muttering they would walk from here.

She jumped out, still groggy, and moved around the back to help him unload. She leaned in to grab her bow, but her hand was snatched by Daryl, who used it to pull her tight to him. He pressed her close, his arms hugging around her and his hungry mouth seeking hers. Lilith was surprised by the display of affection, but happily accepted it.

He pulled back, and she stared into his sharp blue eyes.

‘Sorry,’ he said softly.

Lilith was confused. ‘What for? For kissing me?’

‘No,’ he laughed. ‘I’ll never be sorry for kissing you. For snapping at you earlier. I didn’t mean to upset you.’

Lilith shook her head. ‘Daryl, you didn’t. Don’t worry, your sass didn’t put me off before, it’s definitely not going to now. I didn’t expect that just because we slept together that your personality would suddenly change overnight.’ She cocked her head to one side. ‘Have you been worrying about this the whole way here?’

He nodded. ‘You’re a grumpy fucker,’ she continued with a laugh. ‘But I still love you.’

He leaned forward, and rested his forehead against hers with a relieved sigh, his eyes closed. ‘I’m still not sure I’m what you need,’ he confessed softly.

‘You are. You’re exactly what I need. You make me forget my past, so you must be my future.’

They stood together, drawing comfort from the other’s presence.

‘Come on,’ she smiled. ‘Show me how to fish. Glenn made us promise to make this trip worth it, remember?’

‘You don’t know how to fish?’ he laughed incredulous.

‘I grew up in a city, remember? I don’t know what it’s like here, but in the UK, fishing in the municipal parks is frowned upon,’ she said with a wink.

Lilith helped him carry their equipment, splitting it between their two backpacks, and they headed towards the water.

As they walked the half mile to the river she kept her eyes peeled for walkers, but this area was so remote, Daryl assured her they would be safe. Lilith cast furtive glances in his direction as they walked in order to admire him unobserved. His tanned skin shone in the sunlight, his eyes focused on the horizon. She smiled to herself, remembering how she had disliked him when she first met him, and now look.

The late morning sun was warm but a hardy breeze blowing over the plains kept her skin cool, carrying with it a hint of salt in the air. They walked through the long grasses of the coastal plains, their feet sinking a little in the moist sandy soil. Dunes of smooth cordgrass, with occasional spots of pinky-purple from the bright florets of swamp thistle filled their view. As they neared the water’s edge, colonies of reddish egrets took to the air in a flurry of black and white.

At the edge of the river, Daryl unloaded his burden. He showed her how to attach the lure to a hook and cast it into the water. Lilith was terrible, and even after half an hour she still had not had so much as a nibble, and was getting increasingly frustrated. Daryl dropped his sixth trout into net and looked at her smugly.

‘Why don’t you get find some wood for a fire,’ he said, failing to keep the amusement out of his voice. Lilith gladly threw down her equipment and grabbed her bow. As she fastened her quiver, she asked how much.

‘As much as you can find,’ he answered. ‘We’ll need it later to keep warm, smoke these, and cook supper. And keep an eye out for walkers an’ ‘gators,’ he warned.

Lilith spent the rest of the afternoon until the sun started to set scavenging wood. Most of it was collected from the water’s edge where it lay like the sun-bleached skeletons of some long dead monster, washed up with the river’s tides.

Daryl dug a fire pit well away from the tide line with the shovel, and proceeded to fill it with the smaller pieces of wood. He formed a frame over the pit and staked the gutted fish on some of the thinner straighter pieces of wood. Watching him work, it was obvious that this was Daryl’s element, the outdoors. She felt completely superfluous, and could do nothing but watch him work with graceful efficiency.

‘That’s a lot of fish,’ she smiled. There must have been two dozen hung above the smoker.

He kept one of the fish back which he cooked low over the flames.

‘Aren’t we going to eat the smoked fish?’ she asked perplexed.

Daryl shook his head. ‘City folk!’ he laughed. ‘Smokin’ is gonna take about 3 hours with fish this size, an’ I’m hungry now.’

Lilith blushed, her mouth forming an O.

  
Daryl threw on some more wood after giving it a quick soak in the river so that it smoked more. Their bellies full of fish, they lay side by side on their fronts staring at the flames, both lost in their own world. Daryl eyes were glued to the low flames, but he was extremely aware of Lilith on his left side, and the few spots where their bodies touched.

He surprised himself at how comfortable he was in such close proximity to someone else. There was a time when this would have been a source of anxiety. He reached his fingers over and brushed the tips against the skin of her forearm. He was rewarded by a smile, her brown eyes sparkling in the firelight.

‘What’s on your mind?’ she asked.

‘You’re not damaged goods, you know.’ When she raised her eyebrows in surprise at the random comment, he continued. ‘I meant to say before. I should have said it then, but… I don’t know why I didn’t.’

‘Thanks,’ she responded quietly, her voice small in the vast openness of the Georgian plains.

‘I’m not saying you don’t have a few cracks,’ he teased, ‘but you didn’t fall apart. You’re a strong woman.’

She barked a sharp short laugh. ‘Strong? What is strong? I am no stronger than anyone else.’

‘What I mean is… I appear strong, but it’s all bravado. For all my prowess as a hunter or a fighter, I know nothing about true strength. The strength to still want to survive after your… ordeal,’ he explained. The stroking of her arm recommenced as he continued softly. ‘To still have the ability to love another, to care for someone that did nothing but throw your affection back into your face…’

He knew that he didn’t have the ability to fully understand the subtle nuances of relationships, of friendships or love. He just prayed she understood him. Lilith turned onto her side, and draped an arm over his back.

‘I am no different to the others; to Carol, who lost a child yet still finds the strength to care for others every day. Rick lost his wife, yet still puts the well-being of our community over his own.’ She leaned forward and kissed the top of his arm.

‘We are all damaged in our own ways, and we’re all strong. We seek solace and comfort in other’s company, and draw strength from that.’

She snaked her other arm around his neck and pulled him with her as she lay back. He kissed her deeply, her tongue greedy for his.

As he stared at her, his eyes almost a dark navy in the firelight, she pushed his wispy bangs away from his face.

‘You’re my salvation,’ she said hoarse with emotion.

‘You’re wrong,’ he murmured into her neck as he began kissing a trail down her body. He knew she was wrong because she was his salvation. ‘It’s the other way around,’ he finished, his words almost lost as she whimpered in pleasure, his lips brushing her stomach just below her belly button. He saw her lift her head, and their eyes locked as he unfastened her cargo pants, pulling them down along with her underwear.

As the sun set, the plains were silent but for the occasional crackle of the fire, and male groans muffled between female thighs.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love by firelight in the open plains

At first, he merely tasted her, savouring the alluring flavour that now had him ensnared. He licked at the folds of her slit, drinking the juices her body provided to him as she writhed beneath him. He sucked on the sensitive nib which was proud and demanding of his attention, and her body bucked, almost dislodging him from his position. His tongue slid over Lilith’s clit, his senses overwhelmed by the textures and tastes, and the sounds and scent of a woman aroused. A hand lay on her stomach and he marvelled at how dark he looked against the pale alabaster of her skin. He sucked and nibbled in earnest, then slid two long fingers inside her cunt until a throaty cry broke from Lilith’s lips.

Previously tight muscles went limp as the first climactic wave released her, and Daryl jerked his head from between her legs, his heart thundering wildly. His chin glistened with her nectar as he moved up her body to watch her as she panted in the afterglow of her orgasm.

He recalled a conversation with Merle who told him that some whore had asked him to eat her out. Merle said he would never do it, that eating pussy was for lesbians. Until now, Daryl was not sure if he agreed with him or not. Now he knew he didn’t. He had enjoyed the experience for itself; the scent, the taste, the feel of the silky smooth flesh under his tongue. The biggest payoff however was the obvious pleasure his lover got from it. She fixed him with such an intense and heavy-lidded look full of unadulterated lust, he smiled at her smugly, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

  
Her hands came to life as her senses returned, and she reached for his belt. He helped her undo his belt and pants then took over, pushing them off his legs as she lifted her legs to pull off her own clothes. Within moments they were naked and she gazed at her lover in the firelight as he reached over and grabbed a blanket. He threw it behind and over him like a cape, before laying himself above her, covering them both. The hot summer was over, but despite the autumnal warmth of the day, the night was cool.

As he kissed her, their tongues danced, their ardour lighting a raging fire that burned through her. She sighed as he kissed down her neck to her breasts, his teeth grazing the stiff peaks, before sucking them into his mouth. His stubble scratched at her tender flesh, but not painfully.

She placed a hand over his to push her breast harder into his palm. He removed his hand, leaving her supporting the mound and moved his hand to slide down to her sex. His thick fingers slipped easily between the moist folds. His skin was course, his touch rough on her still sensitive bud, making her legs tremble.

His eyes closed, he groaned around her nipple as he shoved two fingers deep inside her, angling up to reach for her inner core. As his fingers moved in and out, her juice flowed out, slicking her inner thighs with her arousal.

She relinquished her breast and used her hand to thrust his fingers, but it still wasn’t enough.

‘I want you inside me,’ she groaned, her voice heavy with need.

He stopped kissing her breast and withdrew his fingers, leaving her feeling bereft. Shifting his weight onto his knees and elbows, he moved his hips until his hot prick was at her entrance.

She lifted her legs, wrapping her ankles around his waist. The motion tilted her hips and when he moved forward, he glided into her slick depths with no resistance.

Lilith threw her head back and gasped as pleasure coursed through her entire body. He moved over her with long slow strokes, showing infinitely more control than he had previously. His pace was agonisingly and exquisitely steady and she revelled in the sensation until the need to finish, to climax, became all consuming. She arched back wanting him deeper, wanting more of his cock.

Using her feet, she pushed against the back of her lover’s thighs, encouraging him to move faster. His strokes became quicker as did his breath. He panted hot breath in her ear that carried a hint of the sweet smoky scent of his tobacco.

As he drove into her, his thick glans rubbing against her velvety core, they stared at each other. The whole universe and all therein was forgotten in that one moment. Nothing existed but their pleasure and their love.

She pressed her lips hard against him and could feel his urgency in the way he sucked desperately at her tongue. She ascended the mountain of bliss to teeter on the precipice. Some dim part of her awareness that was not consumed by the intensity of her approaching orgasm could hear the slick sounds of his dick plunging hard and fast into her. His hands gripped her shoulders, digging in so firmly she knew she would have bruises there later.

Whimpers erupted from her lips as the fire inside her reached white-hot intensity. She could see Daryl above her, his eyes tightly closed as he strained and grunted towards his own end. For a second, time seemed to freeze, every other sensation other than the one of his hot rod inside her ceased in a brief moment of frenzy. Then she came.

The contractions of her inner muscles gripped her lover, and he too froze, his face locked in an expression of pain and ecstasy. They both cried out, with a freedom to be as noisy as they wanted.

Steadily, with her heart pounding in her ears, Lilith watched Daryl slowly open his eyes. He reached up a hand to stroke her hair while emotions he was unable to articulate flitted across his face and swelled in his throat. He didn’t need to speak, she knew exactly what he was feeling.

Tender gently kisses were exchanged until finally, Daryl softened and slipped out of her. He moved off her and sat up. He looked over his shoulder at her, an almost shy and bashful expression which swelled her heart.

She lifted a hand to trace the tattoo that was on the back of his right shoulder. As she moved her hand down, it was then she noticed other scars on his back. Her brow furrowed, and she propped herself up so she could examine them in the light from the fire.

  
‘What the hell are these?’ she exclaimed.

Daryl was embarrassed and suddenly self-conscious. He reached and grabbed his shirt and made to pull it over his head, but she stopped him. His old habits kicked in, and he flashed an angry stare.

Lilith reached over and gently stroked his face. He looked at the love and concern in her face and his rage faded.

‘My Pa was a mean drunk,’ he offered as an exclamation.

He tried to peer at her face as she moved again to trace the silvery web of abuse and betrayal that marked his back. When she faced him once more, her eyes were rimmed with tears.

‘Oh Daryl!’ she whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.

‘Don’t shed your tears for me, girl. It was a long time ago.’

‘But you were just a child,’ she sniffed. ‘To grow up with someone who is supposed to love you most in the world, but they’re the one you fear most. I can’t begin to understand what you went through.’

‘Merle used to get the brunt of his anger, but when he left… he turned on me.’

‘I hate what he’s done to you. I hate him.’

‘I figure he’s dead anyhow, so don’t waste your hate on him, darlin’.’

He pulled her to him, and lay down. She rested her head on his chest, and he could feel the wetness of her tears against his skin. He stroked her hair and closed his eyes. He had let his past affect his life for too long. It was time to let it go, and break free from the shadow of his father and brother. Lilith and people back at the prison were his future now. His family.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moon has fully risen and it was time to get themselves a 'gator

He dozed off for a little, content just to lie with Lilith in his arms. When he roused a short time later, he saw the moon had fully risen. It was time for action.

Gently he shook Lilith, who was breathing slow and heavy as she slept.

‘Wake up,’ he murmured and kissed her forehead.

‘Hmm!’ she sat up with a start, staring at him with bleary eyes. Daryl’s eyes were drawn to her naked breasts as they jiggled, and he briefly considered changing his plans, but he had a responsibility.

‘Time to get us some ‘gator.’

The clarity came back to Lilith’s eyes as it sank in what he had said. ‘Now?’ she squeaked in alarm, reaching for her clothes.

‘Yup, it’s best to catch ‘em while it’s still dark. The cooler temperatures mean they are more lethargic.’ He chuckled when she looked nervous. ‘It’s ok. I’ve done this a bunch of times. Follow my lead, and you’ll be fine, girl.’

  
They left most of the gear by their makeshift camp.

Lilith reached for her bow. ‘That ain’t gonna be no use against a ‘gator,’ he laughed. ‘You’ll need this,’ and he handed her one of the pistols.

‘But you’ve got yours,’ she pouted.

‘Mine’s a crossbow, darlin’. It packs more of a punch.’ He held out a bolt for her to examine. ‘Plus, with these field point tips, I stand a chance of penetrating the skull.’

Lilith examined the tips which looked like bullets. ‘But I don’t know how to use a gun,’ she complained.

‘It’s loaded and the safety is off, so it’s ready to go. Just point, and squeeze. OK?’

She nodded nervously. ‘How will we find one?’ she whispered as they stepped away from the light of the fire, and clutched onto his arm apprehensively.

Daryl took a small but powerful torch out of the small pocket on his thigh, and waved it at her. ‘Their eyes will reflect the torchlight like cats, but it’ll be red.’

‘What do I do if they try and attack us? Can I outrun it?’

He chuckled quietly. ‘They can run pretty fast on land for short spurts, but it’s unlikely it will attack us. We’re too big for prey, but it will act aggressively when cornered so stay clear of the teeth, and watch for the tail.’

He smiled in the dark when he felt her hand clutching his arm squeeze harder, and she walked so close to him their hips were bumping. He was glad she was here, and pride swelled his chest that she had agreed to do this despite being petrified. Alligator hunting was not for the faint of heart.

‘It’s slightly cooler at night, so they should be a little less lively,’ he reassured her.

Away from the firelight, the only light they had to navigate the grassland was the light of the moon. As they got closer to what Daryl thought looked like a ‘gator hole, he held up his hand for Lilith to stop.

He switched on the small torch and slowly moved closer, with Lilith creeping behind him. There was sound of movement ahead, and when he spun the beam of light towards the noise, the familiar glow of two red-orange eyes shone back at him. There was a head and snout visible above the water in the ‘gator hole. Daryl estimated about eight inch was visible which meant an alligator of about eight feet.

He handed Lilith the torch, and whispered, ‘Keep the light shining in his eyes.’

Daryl moved to the creatures’ side, keeping about ten feet away but between the alligator and the river. He aimed his crossbow at a point just behind the creatures jaw, a softer spot at the base of his thick skull. His pistol stuck out of the back of his waistband, ready to grab.

The first arrow pierced the creature’s neck, and it thrashed and hissed in its hole. The creature was dying slowly, but in its agitated state it was dangerous. Daryl quickly reloaded and as the creature turned towards him, he shot straight for the skull. The large reptile froze and lay still.

‘Is it dead?’ Lilith squeaked jogging over.

He shot an arm out and stopped her getting closer. He pulled out his handgun and carefully approached the beast, its eyes staring dead ahead. He put the muzzle against its skull, leaned back so that he didn’t get any skull shrapnel on him, and fired.

‘Now it is,’ he concluded.

  
Lilith held the torch and watched as Daryl quickly and efficiently trussed the animal with some rope and together they dragged it back to camp where they laid it on the tarpaulin, making the task of dragging to the vehicle much easier. Between them, they managed to lay it in the back, its head hanging over the end of the small truck and left it to bleed while they went back to the camp.

They stole a few more hours of sleep, wrapped together in a blanket, enjoying their solitude on the periphery of what remained of humanity. Just before dawn, they struck camp and with the smoked fish carefully wrapped in some plastic sheeting, headed back to the vehicle.

Lilith was almost disappointed to be heading back to the prison. Their trip had been like a small vacation. She was fairly confident that together they could survive without the rest of the group, but she knew that Daryl would never go for it. She had to confess that she would have missed them. The only person that she had really bonded with was Daryl but she really liked Maggie and Michonne, and she didn’t want to let Rick down.

Their arrival back at the prison caused quite a stir as people gathered around to look at their kill. One of the old timers from Woodbury said he had experience in butchering an alligator, so the beast was man-handled inside. Between that and the fish, there was enough meat for at least a fortnight.

Lilith smiled with pride as people praised Daryl, and she knew he was pleased too even though he was clearly uncomfortable with the compliments.

  
Neither of them made any announcements about their relationship, but those that knew them well suspected. Daryl had received a few knowing looks and smiles from Glenn when he passed by the two of them. He thought about talking to Carol but wasn’t sure how to begin the conversation. In the end, he didn’t have to. Three days after they returned with the alligator, as he was about to leave from grabbing some supper, she quietly handed him one of the remaining bottles of Jamesons that she had hidden in the kitchen.

‘For later,’ she had said quietly as she nodded her head in the direction of his tower when he looked at her questioningly. ‘You two deserve it. It’s quite a feast you have given us, and… you two make a good team.’

Her grey eyes looked sad, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips. Daryl stood up, and quickly bent forward and pecked her cheek wordlessly before returning his dishes to the kitchen. Lilith had been discrete, but she had spent every night since their return with him in the tower. He should have known that if anyone had noticed, it would have been Carol.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter and Daryl makes sure everyone knows Lilith is his now

Later that day, Daryl was sat in the cell block on the stairs to the upper level talking to Carl. He hadn’t spent much time with the kid lately, and he was worried about him. He seemed to be distancing himself from Rick, and this worried Daryl. Carl was a smart kid, but in the last 12 months he had suffered more than any kid his age had to. Thankfully, there were other children for him to spend time with now. Daryl had been worried that he was growing up too quickly, forgetting what it meant to be a child.

As they talked and laughed, he recognised Lilith’s voice in a quiet conversation with someone. He looked over towards the entrance to the kitchen and saw her talking to Tyreese. Daryl strained to hear what they were saying. He seemed to be pressing her about something, and although she was smiling, he could see from the way she held her body that she wasn’t happy.

He saw Tyreese put an arm around her shoulders and pull her close. Daryl’s long legs that had been relaxed and stretched in front of him folded back as his whole body tensed. He slowly rose to his feet and silently moved closer to the two of them, his eyes narrowed and head tilted as he tried to hear what they were saying.

He froze when he saw Lilith wriggle out of Tyreese’ grasp and make her way up to her cell. She still kept most of her things in the cell she shared with Amy, ‘for appearances sake’ she had told him.

Quietly he followed her up to her cell on the second level, and rounded the corner just as she threw herself onto the bottom bunk with a sigh.

She immediately sat up and smiled when she saw him, but her smile faltered when she met his steely gaze.

‘What was that all about, with Tyreese?’ he snapped quietly.

Lilith matched his glare and moved to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips. ‘That was nothing. That was just Ty being friendly.’

‘Looked a little more ‘an friendly from where I was stood,’ he accused.

Lilith took a deep breath before she spoke to calm herself, then she grabbed his hands.

‘Daryl, don’t be cross. Tyreese has… has made a few passes at me, that’s all. It’s nothing more than that. I have told him that I’m not interested.’

‘He doesn’t appear to have listened,’ he murmured, his voice a little calmer.

She shrugged. ‘What he is doing is normal, I guess. We could be all that is left of humanity. It’s natural to be drawn to the opposite sex. It’s not his fault. He doesn’t know that my heart lies elsewhere. It’s not exactly obvious that we are… you know… a couple.’

She stretched up and placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips. The last of any petty jealousies left him then, and he responded to the kiss, pulling her tight to him. Whatever feelings Tyreese had for this woman were not reciprocated.

The following day, Daryl came to the cell block to grab a late lunch. The tables were full and the noise was overwhelming as his eyes automatically scanned the sea of faces until he spotted Lilith. She was sat talking to Maggie, the two of them laughed as they shared a joke. His heart beat faster at the sight of her smile. The smile faded to be replaced by a dark scowl when he saw Tyreese on the next table staring at her. His sister, Sasha, was talking to him, but he didn’t appear to be listening, his attention solely on Lilith.

With a determined stride of his long legs, Daryl marched over to where Lilith sat. As he approached, Maggie’s eyes left Lilith and she nudged her friend. Lilith turned to see what Maggie was looking at, and smiled when she saw Daryl.

He grabbed her arm, and roughly pulled her up.

‘Hey,’ she yelped as he practically dragged her from the bench. Once she was upright, he pulled her tight to him, one arm around her waist, the other behind her head and kissed her passionately. Lilith seemed to freeze in surprise, but after a second he felt her muscles relax and her fingers brushed through his hair.

A few wolf whistles and cheers rose from the crowd, and Daryl broke the kiss. He didn’t pay them any attention however, his eyes focused on Lilith who smiled at him languidly. He grabbed her hand, and pulled her up the stairs.

  
‘Daryl! Wait! What are you doing?’ she asked.

He didn’t reply until they got to her cell. ‘Is this your bag?’ he said as he picked up the large black Bergen. She nodded nervously. ‘Is everything in it?’ he asked.

‘Er, no.’ She started to grab some underwear off the makeshift clothes line, plus some other items that were strewn around the cell. When she fished some clothes from among the loose bedding she heard him snicker behind her.

‘God, you’re messy,’ he laughed.

She looked at him and she blushed. ‘Yeah, and I can’t cook either, get over it,’ she smirked.

She stuffed her things into the bag while he held it open. Finally she picked up the case that held her arrows and bow.

‘Is that all of it?’

When she nodded confirmation that was all her stuff, he threw the bag over his shoulder, and grabbed her hand again to lead her back downstairs. He led her through the lunch time crowd, not making eye-contact with anyone. Lilith couldn’t help beaming with happiness and she filed away the memory of his cocky strut as he walked out of the cell block with her. He didn’t stop until he reached the top of the guard tower where he opened the door, and threw her bag into a corner.

‘Is that obvious enough for you?’ he laughed, the noise lost as Lilith smothered his mouth with hers.

‘It will do for now.’

Daryl broke their embrace and stepped back to close the door. She looked incredibly sexy in the filtered sunlight; the soft khaki fabric of her vest was taut over her firm breasts and he could see the outline of her nipples.

He stepped back into her open arms, and as their lips met, he couldn’t help brushing a hand over her breasts. He felt her shiver as his outstretched fingers brushed the soft firmness, her nipples hard beneath his palm.

Lilith grabbed his hand and pushed it down until it cupped her sex. Daryl popped the button on her pants and pushed his hand inside. She groaned in pleasure as she pushed his fingers hard against her clit and gyrated her hips.

Barely parting their lips, they removed their clothes and Lilith looked down at his cock, proud and erect in her honour. She lay down, pulling him with her, and as soon as he laid next to her she swung a leg over his hips.

With great deliberation, she moved her cunt up and down the length of his cock, rubbing her scent on him, marking her territory. She gasped quietly on each forward thrust as his glans touched her clit on each stroke.

His hands held her firmly at the hips, trying to push her down each time his tip reached her entrance. Lilith teased him, lifting slightly. She moved herself forward, and he moved his arms between her legs so she was straddling his shoulders. She pressed her sex against his mouth and his tongue dug vigorously into her depths.

Lilith rocked back and forth as his tongue teased her clit, probing under its hood and drawing out the little nub with tight circles. She squirmed and panted, pressing herself harder against his mouth.

She wanted to feel the velvet steel of him in mouth. Deftly and with great agility, she raised a leg and swung it around, moving the other to the opposite side of his head. She pressed her cunt back to his mouth but she was now facing away and leaned forward to take him into her mouth, leaving glistening trails of saliva along his length.

 

Daryl nearly lost it at the sight of her treasures. To distract him from the glorious sensation of her lips on him, he continued to work on her clit and pushed his tongue into her depths. The double sensation of what he was doing and was being done to him being a new experience, he couldn’t take much more. He pushed her forward and shuffled back and onto his knees. Quickly and without hesitation, he plunged roughly into her, riding her fast and hard.

He looked down and he could see her cunt was wet and swollen. Going by the gasps of pleasure she emitted, it was a happy recipient of his measured thrusts.

The musk of their sex filled the air and his ears rang with the slap of the sweaty flesh. He suddenly felt his balls tighten a second before he sent his seed hurtling up his shaft. He cried out as his release triggered Lilith’s and her cunt gripped the base of his shaft tightly, holding him in place as she trembled beneath him.

As their passion subsided they separated and lay down. Daryl wrapped his arms tightly around her, not yet willing to relinquish the close contact. He leaned over to kiss her softly on the lips and then on both of her eyelids. He could taste the faint trace of salty tears.

"Tell me that you love me, and that I am yours forever," she sniffed. "Tell me that everything is going to be okay."

His eyes looked into the deep dark pools of hers. "I do love you, and you are mine. Whatever time I have left on this earth, I want to spend it with you," then he shook his head. "But I won’t lie to you. I can’t tell you everything is going to be okay, but whatever comes we will face it together."

THE END  
  
  
 _Dear Reader, thank you for persevering with my story. I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it._


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